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Years of nightly vigils culminated in a champagne-popping celebration as Ashli Babbitt’s mother joined in cheering on the expected fulfillment of a promise from President-elect Donald Trump.
The Election Night victory for the once and future president was seen by many as the beginning of the end of political persecution in the United States. After he himself had combatted lawfare at the state and federal level, a promise to prisoners held after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, prompted a toast to “the rightful president.”
Documented by CNN senior correspondent Donie O’Sullivan, Michelle Witthoeft, the mother of slain U.S. Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, could be heard stating outside the Washington, D.C. jail where J6ers were held, “Today was amazing. Woke up with the president of the United States, the rightful president back in his spot. And today, after 828 days, we’re gonna pop some champagne and raise a glass to President Trump.”
Activists campaigning for the release of Jan 6 rioters popped champagne outside the DC jail after Trump became president-elect.
Watch our full report at the link here: https://t.co/6Z3IruypLG pic.twitter.com/OJUa5O5lgn
— Donie O’Sullivan (@donie) November 12, 2024
Sherri Hafner, an activist calling for the pardon of the prisoners, spoke up before opening the champagne Wednesday night, “Momma Micki, we love you, honey, and we are so grateful for you bringing this freedom family together.”
For over 800 days, those gathered have been holding nightly vigils outside the prison in a spot they dubbed “Freedom Corner” protesting the treatment of the American citizens imprisoned.
#FreedomCorner 11/06/2024 pic.twitter.com/cp6O4UvZzz
— Micki Witthoeft (@michellewittho1) November 7, 2024
In March, Trump promised on his Truth Social platform, “My first acts as your next President will be to Close the Border, DRILL, BABY, DRILL, and Free the January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned!”
He reinforced the point on multiple occasions, stating at a CNN town hall, “I am inclined to pardon many of them. I can’t say for every single one, because a couple of them probably got out of control.”
Similarly, during his sit down in July with the National Association of Black Journalists, Trump said, “Oh, absolutely, I would. If they’re innocent, I would pardon them.”
Meanwhile, for Witthoeft, after nearly four years, that degree of justice remained unattainable as her daughter and Roseanne Boyland were the only two people killed at the Capitol on Jan. 6, and Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd’s conduct was deemed “lawful and within Department policy” after an internal investigation from the Capitol Police’s Office of Professional Responsibility was carried out.
Following Trump’s victory, the Justice Department’s response left many believing it had spent nearly four years making an example out of Americans who merely entered the Capitol on Jan. 6 as it announced that ahead of the GOP leader’s inauguration it would spend the remaining time in the Biden-Harris administration focusing on the “most egregious” offenders.
As was reported, there remain 75 people wanted for felonies who had yet to be arrested for their alleged actions at the U.S. Capitol.
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