Editor’s Note: From The Back Forty is Liberty Nation’s longest-running and most popular weekly column. Capturing the truth each week from heartlanders in Fly Over states, Liberty Nation gives voice to the hard-working Americans otherwise ignored by coastal elites.
The United States Congress is embroiled in a crisis of its own making. Thirteen U.S. servicemen killed and thousands of Americans stuck in a country now ruled by the Taliban – the very same Taliban that was thwarted at every turn since 2001 by the U.S. military and contractors. And that’s why the breaking story of the murderer – finally unmasked – of Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt nearly went unnoticed. But flyover folks grabbed on to the culprit’s name and have been damning him for countless hours, along with the boondoggle the current Commander-in-Chief has gotten us into this week.
(Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
His name is Michael Byrd: the man who fired the only shot during the January 6 mayhem of a protest gone too far. The very same Capitol Police officer, Chris Robinson of Jefferson City, MO, reminds us, “left his loaded service weapon in the men’s room” of the heavily traveled and very public Capitol Visitor Complex. How he retained his job and service weapon is quite the debate.
But Officer Byrd’s infamy and identity confirmation has been buoyed by someone(s), and he is out and about telling a tale of his own heroism. Byrd sat down with NBC’s Lester Holt and said that he demonstrated “the utmost courage” in shooting the unarmed, 35-year-old 125-pound U.S. veteran. And that was enough to torque off Nancy Brandt in rural Iowa, who snarled, “It’s courage now to shoot and kill an unarmed woman? Disgusting! My sympathies go out to the family for her unnecessary death and the killer’s insensitive comments.”
In telling his story to Holt, Byrd appeared proud to have been the only person amongst the throng to shoot someone during the chaos. Babbitt wasn’t threatening him, facing him, or wielding any kind of weapon, but according to Byrd, “she was posing a threat to the United States House of Representatives.” What nailed his hide with heartlanders was the following remark: “I know that day I saved countless. And that’s my job.”
Bobby Schmidt in Wichita Falls, TX, was incredulous, “I guess this unarmed woman was going to kill multiple people with her bare hands. He only gets a pass because he’s black, and she was a white Trump supporter.”
[bookpromo align=”left”]Some speculate that Byrd’s identity was kept a secret for fear of a White Supremacist revenge killing. And Byrd himself admitted he was afraid on the day of the insurrection and following. He didn’t disclose that he killed a young, unarmed U.S. veteran.
Former President Donald Trump has referred to Byrd as “a murderer.” And when Holt asked if that bothered Byrd, he replied: “It’s disheartening.” What rang true with heartlanders from Byrd’s words was the answer provided to one of Holt’s last questions: would he protect President Trump if that ever came to pass. The Lieutenant did not miss a beat: “If he was in the room. If he was in the Capitol and I was responsible for him, I’d do the same thing for him and his family.” Holt pressed on, “would you have his back today if you were so assigned?
Wiping his eyes, he replied, “I sure would because it’s my job.”
What Is Behind Door Number 2?
January 6 marked the very first time Lt. Michael Byrd had fired a weapon in service during 28 years on the force. His actions did not save lives – instead he took a life. It has taken nearly nine months to release his name and declare clearance of all wrongdoing – and folks noticed.
As Brian Caine observed: “No wonder they kept this under wraps for so long….and picked this time to release the info while the Press and people are focused on the Afghan diversion.”
~
Read more from Sarah Cowgill
