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The House Select Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection revealed private texts from former Republican President Donald Trump's ex-campaign manager Brad Parscale in which he admitted Trump's “rhetoric killed someone."
In the days after the attack—which took place after a White nationalist led mob of Trump's supporters attacked the United States Capitol on the false premise the 2020 general election was stolen—Parscale texted former Trump spokesperson Katrina Pierson telling her Trump was a "sitting President asking for civil war" and "I feel guilty for helping him win.”
When Pierson told Parscale he had only been doing "what you felt was right at the time and therefore it was right," Parscale noted "a woman is dead"—a reference to insurrectionist Ashli Babbitt who was killed by a law enforcement officer as she attempted to climb through the broken windows of the House Speaker's Lobby to gain access to members of Congress sheltering in the House chamber.
Pierson disagreed, telling Parscale it "wasn’t the rhetoric" that got Babbitt killed, but Parscale was firm that "Yes it was."
You can read the texts below.
\u201cA stunning text exchange between former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale and former campaign official Katrina Pierson\u201d— Alayna Treene (@Alayna Treene) 1657653429
Parscale's admission was a tacit acknowledgment of the consequences of Trump's behavior, which culminated in a violent insurrection that left at least five people dead and resulted in over 100 injuries to law enforcement as well as millions of dollars in damages.
And for many, it was the most glaring evidence yet of Trump's intent to overthrow the nation's seat of government and a sign the attack was a wakeup call for even his most ardent supporters.
\u201cIt\nwas\nthis\nobvious. \n\nBrad Parscale private text message to Katrina Pierson, Jan. 6, 2021:\n\n"This is about trump pushing for uncertainty in our country."\n\n"A sitting president asking for civil war."\u201d— Ryan Goodman (@Ryan Goodman) 1657653609
\u201cOne of the most effective parts of these hearings is the degree to which Trump's entire inner circle were aware how dangerous his lies were, but I am genuinely shocked by the Parscale texts. This is someone whose career depended entirely on not having this moment of clarity.\u201d— Benjy Sarlin (@Benjy Sarlin) 1657653423
\u201cWhat the Brad Parscale texts remind us is that Trump advocates, whether advisors, Fox News anchors, or both, will only speak truth about Trump in hushed tones, out of the public eye, knowing full well that what Trump says, does, and stands for, is morally bankrupt and illegal.\u201d— Mr. Newberger (@Mr. Newberger) 1657717002
\u201cWow. Those texts. Brad Parscale is having a real life COME TO JESUS moment and this snake Pierson is all *no no, it's nobody's fault.*\u201d— Elie Mystal (@Elie Mystal) 1657651736
\u201cIn the midst of all this, I am most disturbed by "You did what you felt right at the time and therefore it was right."\n\nIt's actually very important for adults to understand you can feel you are right and still be wrong\u201d— Eileen Noonan (@Eileen Noonan) 1657727373
\u201cEvil, fully-aware of itself.\u201d— Presidential Ketchup Tantrum (@Presidential Ketchup Tantrum) 1657715796
\u201cpeople of color are in prison for years for things with far less evidence but people with power are allowed to hurt as many people as they can even with mountains of proof\u201d— Arjun (@Arjun) 1657725529
\u201cBombshell. Trump must be indicted for inciting a riot at least\u201d— Gabby Cook Francis\u2728 (@Gabby Cook Francis\u2728) 1657726924
\u201cThe people that were closest to him knew what he could & would do, and recognized it when it happened. This is so incredibly sad. He must never get a chance again. #OurBlueVoice\u201d— ElizabethC \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83d\udc9b\ud83d\udc99\ud83c\udf3b (@ElizabethC \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83d\udc9b\ud83d\udc99\ud83c\udf3b) 1657695428
Babbitt spent fourteen years in the United States Air Force before she became radicalized by the QAnon conspiracy theory which alleges Democrats are part of a Satan-worshipping, baby eating global pedophile ring that conspired against Trump during his time in office.
She also used her social media accounts to promote calls for a violent uprising that would lead to Trump's second inauguration.
Lieutenant Michael Byrd—the member of the U.S. Capitol Police who shot and killed Babbitt when she attempted to breach the House chamber—recalled yelling for rioters to back away from the doors.
Then in a moment captured on video, he fired a single shot that struck Babbitt in the shoulder. She would later die of her injuries.
In an August 2021 interview with NBC News conducted after he gave the news outlet permission to identify him when authorities declined to do so, he said he only fired his gun as a "last resort."
The DOJ ultimately cleared Byrd of wrongdoing and closed the investigation, noting in a press release the investigation found no evidence Byrd fired his gun without believing it had been "necessary" to do so "in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber."