Far-right extremists,[41] right-wing media,[42] and Republican Members of Congress[43] have attempted to cast Babbitt as a martyr and a patriot. These efforts have been compared to the Nazi glorification of Horst Wessel.[44][45] Former president Trump recorded a video message arguing that "There was no reason Ashli should've lost her life that day. We must all demand justice for Ashli and her family".[46][47][48] Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the shooting of Babbitt, describing it as an "assassination".[49]