GOP senator unflinchingly defends officer who shot Ashli Babbitt in tense exchange with radio caller
Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer (N.D.) appeared to reject one of the GOP and former President Donald Trump's latest talking points — who shot Ashli Babbitt? — while making a radio appearance on The Jay Thomas Show on Tuesday, CNN's Andrew Kaczynski reports.
When asked by a caller if Cramer could be the one to "leak" the name of the officer who fatally wounded Capitol rioter Babbitt, the senator responded, "Why would I do that?" The caller continued to push back, claiming he has "the right to know" because he is a "citizen of the United States."
Cramer replied that not only is he himself unsure of the officer's identity, but he believes that information is unnecessary because Babbitt was a "criminal" violating officers' orders. "They're protecting people and the officer was found to be innocent of any wrongdoing. So then what would be the purpose of releasing that officer's name? What do you need to know the officer's name for?"
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The North Dakota lawmaker went on to say that he doesn't "know what the law says about releasing someone's name," but the officer is "not a suspect of any crime" and "it seems to be kind of a textbook situation, frankly." "I'm just grateful for this person, quite honestly," he adds.
Listen to the tense exchange starting at the 1:12:40 mark below:
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
5 capitulating cartoons about the Democrat's shutdown surrenderCartoons Artists take on Democrat's folding, flag-waving, and more
-
How are these Epstein files so damaging to Trump?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As Republicans and Democrats release dueling tranches of Epstein-related documents, the White House finds itself caught in a mess partially of its own making
-
Margaret Atwood’s memoir, intergenerational trauma and the fight to make spousal rape a crime: Welcome to November booksThe Week Recommends This month's new releases include ‘Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts’ by Margaret Atwood, ‘Cursed Daughters’ by Oyinkan Braithwaite and 'Without Consent' by Sarah Weinman
-
Trump DOJ sues to block California redistrictingSpeed Read California’s new congressional map was drawn by Democrats to flip Republican-held House seats
-
GOP retreats from shutdown deal payout provisionSpeed Read Senators are distancing themselves from a controversial provision in the new government funding package
-
Catholic bishops rebuke Trump on immigrationSpeed Read ‘We feel compelled’ to ‘raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity,’ the bishops said
-
House releases Epstein emails referencing TrumpSpeed Read The emails suggest Trump knew more about Epstein’s sex trafficking of underage women than he has claimed
-
Newsom slams Trump’s climate denial at COP30speed read Trump, who has called climate change a ‘hoax,’ declined to send any officials to this week’s summit
-
UK, Colombia halt intel to US over boat attacksSpeed Read Both countries have suspended intelligence sharing with the US over the bombing of civilian boats suspected of drug smuggling
-
Trump pardons 2020 fake electors, other GOP alliesSpeed Read The president pardoned Rudy Giuliani and more who tried to overturn his 2020 election loss
-
Supreme Court to decide on mail-in ballot limitsSpeed Read The court will determine whether states can count mail-in ballots received after Election Day
