President Joe Biden said Friday he stands with the jury that found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty – as Republicans renewed demands that he apologize for comparing the Kenosha shooter to white supremacists.
‘I stand with the jury because the jury system is over. The jury system works and you have to follow it,’ Biden told reporters Friday afternoon, as he returned to the White House from Walter Reed Medical Center, where he had a physical relationship.
He said he had heard about the verdict ‘just a moment ago’, and says he had ‘not seen the trial’, which included a dramatic clash between prosecutors and defense lawyers and the testimony of an accused juvenile in one incident. were shown. -Gawel cable news coverage.
He did not comment otherwise on Kenosha’s condition, amid fears of violence following his acquittal. The White House said before the verdict that it was coordinating with law enforcement on any attempt to ensure that the protests remained peaceful.
Republican lawmakers and other officials are demanding that Biden apologize to Rittenhouse To compare Rittenhouse to white supremacists Wisconsin Jury’s non-guilty verdict.
In a statement shortly after the verdict, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said, “Joe Biden needs to publicly apologize to Kyle Rittenhouse.”
When asked about Kyle Rittenhouse’s decision, President Joe Biden said Friday, “The jury system works and you have to abide by it.”
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson supported the decision. ‘I believe justice has been served in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. I hope everyone can accept the verdict, stay peaceful, and let the community of Kenosha recover and rebuild,’ he tweeted.
Running as a presidential candidate last September, Biden sent out a tweet condemning Donald Trump For refusing to call anti-BLM protesters white supremacists. It also featured an image of Rittenhouse’s face in March in Charlottesville as well as Kenosha.
“There’s no other way to say it: The President of the United States refused to acknowledge white supremacists on the debate stage last night,” Biden said.
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel issued a statement saying that Biden pre-planned the Rittenhouse case before knowing the facts. He beat up a teenager to take political advantage and spread lies about the matter. What Biden did was dangerous and inflammatory. Before the Left uses his lies to fuel violence, Biden must apologize and act now.
Lawmakers on both sides of the issue expressed their relief or anger on Twitter.
Kyle Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty to five counts at the conclusion of his trial on Friday. Lawmakers reacted almost immediately to the decision, with Republicans demanding an apology from President Joe Biden for a tweet that linked him to white supremacism.
The Congressional Black Caucus issued a statement saying: ‘It is unconscionable that our justice system would allow an armed vigilante – who traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin and killed Joseph Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber and injured Gage Groskretz – freed. . Happen.
Representative Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) said: ‘I want to believe in our criminal justice system, but with this news the immediate question that comes to mind is “Would he have been acquitted if he were black? go? ”
Representative Caroline Bordeaux (D-La.) wrote: ‘I hope this young man realizes he was given a chance at life – one that we all know cannot be tolerated if he were black. could. was – and dedicates itself to repairing the deep cracks in our community and which have been born in our country.’
New York Attorney General Letitia James tweeted: “This is a dark day for our justice system. As an attorney, I respect jury decisions. But it’s yet another reminder to root out our system.” and needs to be improved.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was briefed during a White House press briefing about the jury’s not-guilty decision in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial — and promised President Biden would weigh in with a statement.
President Joe Biden is expected to issue a statement on the decision
White House press secretary Jen Psaki promised to make a statement “as soon as possible,” adding that “this apparently happened while I was here, so let me speak to the president.”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) was among those to apologize to Rittenhouse
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson says ‘justice has been done’
Congress’s Black Caucus called the decision ‘inconsistent’
Rittenhouse was found not guilty of all counts of intentional manslaughter, intentional attempt to murder, or reckless endangerment by shooting two people and injuring another by a 12-person jury amid protests in Kenosha in August 2020. A few seconds later, he was asked about it.
“It obviously happened while I was out here, so let me talk to the president,” Saki replied, “Talk to our team, and we’ll give you a statement as soon as possible.”
He was asked about Judge Bruce Schroeder’s decision not to use the word ‘victim’ to describe those killed or injured in the Rittenhouse shootings. ‘I’m not going to assess it from here,’ she said. ‘Let us give you a statement as soon as possible.’
Before the decision, he said that the administration ‘We are in close contact with officials at the grassroots level through law enforcement channels to ensure that we are supportive of any efforts towards a peaceful protest. Of course we will continue to encourage it because anyone wants their voice to be heard regardless of the outcome.’
Rittenhouse was found not guilty on all counts Friday afternoon.
The jury delivered its verdict at the Kenosha shooter trial on Friday after four days of deliberation.
Rittenhouse, 18, was charged with first-degree intentional manslaughter and other counts on August 25, 2020 for the murders of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and the wounding of Gage Grosskretz.
Kyle Rittenhouse broke down at the witness stand last week as he recalled the moment Joseph Rosenbaum shot him the night he killed her
Judge Bruce Schroeder yelled at prosecutor Thomas Binger in a moment of High Court drama last week
Protesters have gathered outside Kenosha Courthouse all week Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers called on 500 members of the Wisconsin National Guard to counter the expected protests.
The verdict marks the explosive end of a trial filled with controversy and drama that has threatened to derail proceedings more than once.
Two of the six original charges were dismissed before going to a jury when Judge Schroeder counted first curfew violations and then one charge that seemed all but a slam-dunk to prosecutors: by a man. Possession of dangerous weapon 18.
The gun charge was dismissed on the grounds that the state failed to meet the entire statute that in Wisconsin not only must the person be under 18, but the rifle must be short-barreled—Rittenhouse’s AR -15 was not.