Morning Wire - Justice and January 6th: Family Members Speak Out | Saturday Extra

Episode Date: January 6, 2024

In the three years since the January 6th riot, more than 1,200 Americans have been charged and sentenced. We visit with Ashli Babbitt’s mother and a group who holds a nightly vigil outside the prison for the prisoners they believe have been treated unfairly and politically persecuted. Get the facts first on Morning Wire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been three years since the riot at the Capitol on January 6th, and to date, more than 1,200 Americans have been charged, with many of them being sentenced to years behind bars. The polarizing cases have sparked protests, counter-protests, and accusations of political weaponization of the judicial system. In this episode, we talk with the organizer of a group demanding fair treatment for those charged and more accountability from government officials for what happened that day. I'm Daily Wire, editor-in-chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Saturday, January 6th, and this is an extra edition of Morning Wire. Joining us now is Mickey Whithoff, the mother of Ashley Babbitt and a lead organizer for a group calling for justice for J6 defendants and more accountability for government officials. Mickey, thank you for coming on. Thank you.

So it's been three years since the January 6th riot and since your daughter was killed at the Capitol. How did that day change your life? My daughter was shot and killed in the Capitol, January 6th of 2021 at the Stop the Steel Rally. It has changed my life in every way you can imagine. You know, the death of a child is something that I don't think anybody should have to go through. And, you know, Ashley did four tours of duty in the Middle East and had earned the right

to protest a government that she felt was overstepping and overreaching in many ways. You know, the COVID lockdowns, the mandated vaccinations. She ran a small business in California, and, you know, lots of the policies were affecting her business. And Ashley went there that day to redress her grievances with the government. And since then, you know, my life has changed. And like I said, every way you can imagine. I'm from Southern California. I've relocated to Washington, D.C., where we hold a vigil outside the D.C.

every night to try to draw awareness to the horrific treatment of the men and women that showed up to the Capitol on January 6th. also to try to open up a narrative that addresses the fact that American people have been shown the same footage that is really the most horrific aspects of that day. But I absolutely think that my family and Ashley deserve an investigation into the events of that day. And I think we need to see it all. You know, and lots of people are waiting for Donald Trump to get back into office and give everybody a blanket pardon. And that's not my position. I think a blanket pardon would be detrimental to our movement.

because I think it would sweep everything under the rug and we absolutely need to see what happened that day. We also need to be aware as American citizens the way the Capitol Police operate with complete impunity. You know, there's never been a proper investigation into the events of my daughter's death and the way that the Capitol Police are allowed to operate where they're not held accountable for their own actions. You know, and I think a lot of America doesn't know that Lieutenant Michael Byrd, he was a lieutenant when he shot and killed my daughter. He's since been promoted to captain. but he has a questionable record. He's ill-trained, and I believe that in any other police force in this country would have been caused for dismissal and not promotion.

So I think the American citizens really need to put some attention to the way the Capitol Police are allowed to operate and do business. On the other side of this, do you believe that the people that were the true rioters that did get out of hand that day, do they deserve accountability and do they need to take responsibility for their actions? I absolutely do. That's why I don't think that a blanket pardon is a good idea. But I think that, you know, if we're going to hold American citizens accountable,

we absolutely need to hold the police force accountable that day. And we need to see where the violence started. We need to see, and I've seen, you know, footage of a peaceful crowd standing there and have munitions launched at them from above. But, no, I believe every single person should be held accountable for their actions that day. From, you know, Nancy Pelosi to Michael Byrd to every single patriot that was there that day. And things, you know, if things got out of control, let's see what they did. But I don't think that anybody deserves a seven and a half.

sentence for standing on the lawn or for showing up there that day. I don't think judges should be allowed to legislate from the bench and attach seven-year sentences to misdemeanor charges and what they call enhanced misdemeanors. I mean, that's not even a thing unless it's for January 6ers. I was not there on January 6th, but I think the American people that were there that day need to be judged fairly. I think that these sentences they're throwing at people are just astronomical and just over the top.

I think that they very much judge the day on the calendar. and not the man for his deeds that day, which I would very much like to see. You know, Ashley Babbitt, like I said, she was in the Air Force. She did four tours of duty in the Middle East and came home. She was denied rendering of honors simply because she was at the Capitol on January 6th, never having been charged with a crime. And that was in February of 2021. So I think that they had already set forth the precedents of the way they were going to hold

these people accountable. I just think that the sentences are excessive. You know, Enrique Tereo, 22 years in jail, he wasn't even in D.C. on January So I think that these are a large group of people being treated in a way that is just unprecedented. You mentioned the vigils that you've organized. We actually sent a reporter, Daniel Chaiton, to one of the vigils this week in audio that he captured. The group sings the national anthem and other patriotic songs. They have calls with the prisoners, but mostly they offer each other hope.

Here's some of the audio from that visit. Okay, can you tell me your name and where'd you cover? Nicole Ruffett. My husband is Guy Ruffett. He was the first Jan Sixer to go to trial with a jury. He was convicted on all counts. He was sentenced to seven and a half years, August 1st of 22. He never entered the building, nor was he charged with any assault or violent crime. In the beginning, it was so isolating being a Jan Sixer. No one wanted to have anything to do with you. It was really scary. The way they came into our home, our neighborhood of course was very, very... very scared of what they had seen.

So for a long time, you had no contact with anyone. And then when the community started really growing, really that's all we had was each other. So how many nights have you been out here? Over 500 days. That's a lot. Consistently, you know, when people see that you are committed to a cause and they know that you're going to be out there and these guys in here and people watching on live stream, listening for their husband or spouses or father's name every night, it then turns into a very

important job to have every day. I've just seen that the more brave people are getting about that day, the more questions people want answered. By doing this and being consistent and being out here, it makes a lot of Jan Sixers and other people that are passionate about our country more brave also. And that is a huge accomplishment, I believe. My name is Tamara Perryman. My husband's here in DC. We give them this platform to be able to get their own voices out because we feel like it's really important. And the mainstream media has done everything they can to annihilate and assassinate their characters for three years. And they should have the opportunity to defend themselves.

Or to even just say who they really truly are with their own words. They're not going to let my husband out of jail anytime soon. Even if they did, if they let my husband out of this jail next week, I will still be here. still be right here doing this because he's not the only one. It's so much bigger than that. How long have you been carrying on these vigils and how have they gone? Have they been peaceful? We've been absolutely peaceful.

We've been outside the D.C. jail holding a candlelight vigil, singing the national anthem with these men that continue to sing the national anthem despite the way this country has treated them as a group. They call out to our vigil through live stream and they sing as a group and we sing with them every night now for over 500 nights here in D.C. Has your group seen pushback for? from Antifa or other activist groups over the years? Oh, well, yes.

We have counter-protesters out there. We used to have them in large number. They're dwindling, but they do follow us around. We also attend committee hearings in the Rayburn building, the Longworth building, and some Senate hearings, but we have been mostly present in the Rayburn building in the Longworth for these congressional hearings. And they oftentimes, you know, show up to protest us at these buildings. They show up at court to give us a hard time.

And they are often at our vigil to yell and scream awful things. as well. But we have a large police presence there that keeps us safe and keeps them on their side of the road. I should ask you about the anarchy princess and the megaphone incident that led to your arrest. Oh, yeah. What happened there? Well, you know, I've been arrested. You know, I've never even had a moving violation until I got here to D.C. But I have been arrested twice since I've been here. One was for obstructing the roadway when I was trying to lay flowers last January 6th. And the other one was for my interaction with the Anarchy Princess, which speaks for itself. I did break a megaphone, and I feel like she had that coming.

She walked through our vigil, kicked our flag. She had been yelling awful things through her bullhorn at us, the whole Memorial Day walk. And, yeah, so I laid hands on Anarchy Princess for her bullhorn, and I was arrested. Look, recent polls show that the country is largely divided on J6. Do you believe your actions have changed how Americans view what happened that day? Well, I just hope that as much speaking as we've done, if we win the hearts and minds of any people, that that's progress. I think that our persistence and our perseverance, I'm absolutely sure, has changed the life of the prisoners inside as far as their treatment.

And they're now allowed to have visitation. And there are many, many people working hard for January 6ers. And I first got here to D.C. We were told it was a political football. Nobody wanted to touch. And now people talk about it, you know, in committee hearings. and such. And, you know, there are some vigils going on on the 6th of January on the third anniversary.

Of course, we're going to hold our event here in D.C. Where we'll hold our vigil that night. And also, look-ahad, America is coming to hold a fully permanent event outside the Department of Justice from 12 to 2. There are also vigils that will happen in Runkan, New York, at the America First Warehouse, Akanto, Florida with Jeremy Brown's people, two vigils in Texas, Conroe in Houston, Talladega, Alabama, Los Angeles, Portland, and Columbus, Ohio. But, you know, I think that Americans are largely waken up. I was like to say that the release of the footage is helping,

but really it's been so minimal and so rolled back and watered down. But, you know, I think that the thing that this establishment didn't count on was American perseverance. For me, it's not so much about Donald Trump as it is the right to do process and the right to redress your grievances. And this is not something I think people are going to lay. down and let go away because their people, our people are in jail. Our people, you know, a lot of them veterans that serve this country, some police officers, some, you know, Main Street America,

they've locked up Main Street America. And like you asked, do I think people should be held accountable for their actions that day. I very, very, very much do. But I think that, you know, these people that trespassed on the grass or, you know, touched a bike fence and are being charged with assault with a deadly weapon or through a water bottle and they're being charged with a salt with a deadly weapon, I think that's overreach. I think that's excessive. It would be a blessing to have people held accountable for their actions that day, not because it was January 6th. Mickey, thank you so much for talking with us today. Thank you. That was Mickey Witthoff, and this has been an extra edition of Morning Wire.