Sears, Kmart pull shirt calling Ashli Babbitt an ‘American Patriot’

Sears and Kmart have pulled a T-shirt from their websites that referred to Ashli Babbitt, the woman who was shot and killed by a Capitol Police officer during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, as an “American Patriot.” 

The shirt, which also included a faded black and white American flag, prompted backlash from social media users Tuesday after Vox’s Aaron Rupar tweeted a screenshot of the item of clothing, as well as the links to the product on Sears’s and Kmart’s websites. 

.@Sears (https://t.co/VTWoZlm95W) and @Kmart (https://t.co/lZolqc38ga) are selling Ashli Babbitt “American Patriot” shirts pic.twitter.com/CYx3dVINfB

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 6, 2021

The 35-year-old Air Force veteran was captured in graphic footage being shot after attempting to climb through a broken glass door leading into the Speaker’s Lobby during the riot. 

Her death has been politicized by some Republicans, including Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), who received condemnation for claiming that Babbitt, who stormed through the Capitol building along with other supporters of former President Trump, was “executed” by police. 

Hours after Rupar’s initial tweet, the official Sears account responded, writing that the product was “no longer available for purchase” on the websites for Sears and Kmart, both of which are owned by parent company Transformco. 

Thank you for bringing this product to our attention. This item is no longer available for purchase on https://t.co/X2bSIlvdyK or https://t.co/XcgrhIoktX.

— Sears (@Sears) July 6, 2021

“Thank you for bringing this product to our attention,” the tweet added. 

As of Wednesday, the URLs that previously led to the product on the Sears and Kmart websites now say “yikes,” with the websites explaining that the pages are “no longer available.”

It was not clear how long the shirts had been available on the websites, and several users noted that the product may have been available through a third-party company allowed to sell products on the platforms. 

The Hill has reached out to Transformco for additional information. 

Babbitt was one of several people who died amid the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, with dozens of others suffering injuries ranging from mild to severe, as rioters attempted to stop Congress from certifying President Biden’s election win based on Trump’s unsupported claims of widespread fraud. 

Six months after the mob attack, federal authorities have arrested and charged more than 535 individuals with crimes related to their alleged participation in the riot. 

Babbitt’s family and some Republicans, including Trump himself, have called on authorities to release the name of the officer who shot her. 

Last month, Babbitt’s family filed a lawsuit in Washington, D.C., Superior Court seeking the officer’s records, footage of the shooting, and documents and witness statements the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) obtained during its investigation. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said in April that it would not be pursuing criminal charges against the officer involved in Babbitt’s death.