Capitol Hill dystopian
An explosion caused by a police munition is seen while supporters of President Donald Trump gather in front of the US Capitol Building in Washington DC on January 6, 2021.
REUTERS/Leah Millis
  • Ashli Babbitt was killed after being shot storming the US Capitol alongside a violent Trump mob on Wednesday.
  • Babbitt was a veteran of the Air Force, and was active on social media. Posts made prior to her death reveal she was fully steeped in a pro-Trump and QAnon conspiracy echo chamber.
  • Previous posts called out Democratic lawmakers, including Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Representative Maxine Waters, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with Babbitt saying she was putting them “on notice.”
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Ashli Babbitt’s Twitter account said she loved “my dude, my dog, & above all, my country.” On Wednesday, the 14-year veteran of the Air Force and ardent Trump supporter, who dabbled in conspiracy theories over social media, died during a rampage at the Capitol Building.

Law enforcement officials told NBC News of her death and DC police confirmed the news to the Washington Post. MSNBC reported that a law enforcement officer fired the shot.

Babbitt was one of hundreds of Trump supporters who, at the president’s suggestion, stormed down to the Capitol to protest the confirmation of Joe Biden’s Electoral College win over Trump. Photos and videos of Babbitt inside the Capitol before, during, and after she was shot were shared across social media, and after her death, her husband told local San Diego media that Babbitt was an ardent Trump supporter. 

Babbitt’s social media posts prior to her death give a clearer idea of her decision to head to Washington on January 6.

Babbitt regularly expressed support for Trump on social media. While she didn’t tweet much herself, she was an ardent retweeter of conservative and right-wing figures, including Michael Flynn and Jack Posobiec, and conservative news sites like Right Side Broadcast News. 

On January 5, Babbitt responded to a tweet that read, "A lot of flights into DC are being canceled with no bad weather. The entire world is corrupt."

"Nothing will stop us," she responded. "They can try and try and try but the storm is here and it is descending upon DC in less than 24 hours….dark to light!" 

 

She also regularly endorsed QAnon conspiracy theories on Twitter. In a series of photos posted in early September, Babbitt attended a Trump Boat Parade in San Diego, sporting a QAnon t-shirt, and included the group's slogan in the caption. 

 

In December, Babbitt posted a screenshot of a California stay-at -home order notification and tweeted, "This is that commie bullshit!"

In a follow-up tweet, Babbitt shared a photo of California Governor Gavin Newsom's face with a stop sign pasted over it, and later retweeted posts calling for Newsom to be recalled.

Babbitt often engaged with former Trump lawyer Lin Wood, a known conspiracy theorist. 

Less than 24 hours before the violent rally, Babbitt retweeted a tweet from Wood which read, "MUST BE DONE LIST before Congress meets today: 1. Mike Pence @vp @Mike_Pence must resign & thereafter be charged with TREASON. 2. Rod Rosenstein @RodRosenstein must be arrested & charged with being accessory to murder & TREASON. 3. Chief Justice John Roberts must RESIGN."

A series of videos posted by Babbitt to Twitter in 2018 showed her expressing anger over California's Democratic politicians and ranting about immigration at San Diego's southern border.

In the videos, she calls out Maxine Waters, Kamala Harris, Ted Lieu, Jerry Brown, and Gavin Newsom, and claims they're in favor of unrestricted immigration. Babbitt was specifically angry with Kamala Harris for comparing ICE's tactics to the KKK. 

"I'm putting all of you on notice. Every single one of you politicians in California, what the hell are you doing?" Babbitt shouts from her car in one video.

 

Babbitt seemed fond of conspiracy theories which suggested that Chief Justice Roberts and other high profile politicians in DC engaged in pedophilia, and she often retweeted far-right media personalities. 

In one post, Babbitt retweeted Jack Posobiec who, responding to a photo of DC-bound Trump supporters wearing MAGA hats, tweeted, "So many domestic terrorists!"

Her last tweets heavily referenced Trump's January 6 rally.

In one, Babbitt liked right-wing commentator Graham Allen's tweet, which said, "Here we go.... January 6, 2021 will be in the history books one way or the other! Buckle up America!"

In one of her last tweets on the first day of 2021, Babbitt responded to a Twitter user asking, "When do we start winning?" Babbitt quote-tweeted and responded, "Jan 6, 2021," with an American flag and hang five emoji. 

 

Read the original article on Business Insider