Sears and Kmart, both owned by TransformCo, pulled a shirt from their websites on Tuesday that called Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt an “American Patriot.”
Babbitt was killed by police during the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, when supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the building in an attempt to stop the certification of President Joe Biden’s election win. In widely circulated video from that day, the 35-year-old Navy veteran appeared to try to breach a door leading to the House Chamber and was shot by an officer on the other side. No details about the officer have been made public, and last Thursday, Trump himself released a statement that read, “Who shot Ashli Babbitt?”
Four others died during the insurrection, including Officer Brian Sicknick, but Babbitt’s death has received significant attention, in part because of the scant details regarding the identity of the officer who shot her.
There was an outcry online Tuesday after the “Ashli Babbitt: American Patriot” shirts were first discovered on the Sears and Kmart websites, though a few online observers pointed out the companies may not have been directly involved, but rather allowed third-party vendors to sell shirts on their platforms. A representative for TransformCo did not immediately respond to requests for comment from TheWrap.
Sears did weigh in Tuesday with a tweet that read, “Thank you for bringing this product to our attention. This item is no longer available for purchase on Sears.com or kmart.com.”
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