Ashli Babbitt’s Mother Popped Champagne Outside DC Jail On Election Night, Toasting Trump’s Promise to Pardon Jan. 6th Rioters

Donald Trump’s victory in last Tuesday’s presidential election was celebrated in the early hours of Wednesday morning outside of the DC jail where January 6th rioters are being held.

CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan was there as Trump supporters popped open bottles of champagne and toasted Trump’s promise to pardon rioters serving prison sentences related to the storming of the U.S. Capitol, which included violence against police and vandalizing the historic building.

“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 going to pop some champagne and raise a glass to President Trump,” said Michelle Witthoeft to the group of people gathered outside the jail.

Witthoeft, the mother of Ashli Babbitt, has long gathered outside the DC jail with her supporters and held a nightly vigil for her daughter who was shot and killed trying to enter the Capitol that day.

Trump ran on promising to pardon the January 6th defendants who he has called “hostages” and “political prisoners.”

“Free the January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned!” Trump wrote in March on his Truth Social platform. The new president-elect was asked over the summer at the National Association of Black Journalists forum in Chicago if he would pardon the rioters.

“Oh, absolutely, I would. If they’re innocent, I would pardon them,” Trump said during the contentious interview. Trump has, however, qualified the pardons, saying that they would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. He told 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.”

Watch the clip above.