Matt York/AP
- Ashli Babbit was shot and killed by police while storming the Capitol on January 6.
- GOP Rep. Paul Gosar praised Babbitt and claimed she was "executed."
- On Friday, he was slammed for praising her with quotes from a U2 song about Martin Luther King Jr.
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GOP Rep. Paul Gosar was slammed after praising Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by police while storming the Capitol on January 6.
In a tweet, Gosar wrote: "They took her life. They could not take her pride. #onemoreinthenameoflove."
The message paraphrased lyrics from the song "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2, which is about Martin Luther King Jr.
-Paul Gosar (@DrPaulGosar) May 28, 2021
Babbit was one of five people who died after supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol.
She was shot by a Capitol Police officer when she tried to climb through a door where the glass had been broken out in the Speaker's Lobby outside the chamber where members of the House of Representatives were meeting. The officer fired one round from his service pistol that hit her left shoulder, the agency said.
The Justice Department did not pursue charges against the officer who shot and killed Babbit and said there was insufficient evidence to support criminal charges.
Gosar, a Republican from Arizona, previously defended the rioters, calling them "peaceful patriots." He's also claimed Babbitt was "executed."
So far, 500 people have been arrested for alleged crimes tied to their activity during the Capitol attack.
GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who was one of a few Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over the Capitol insurrection, responded with "Paul you've lost your mind."
"Side note to anyone watching, don't breach the house floor illegally, especially after warned," Kinzinger added.