Why Kyle Rittenhouse's Lawyer Just Scolded Donald Trump Jr.
When Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges on November 19, 2021, it left the country divided. The 18-year-old was charged with killing two people and injuring another during a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, WI in 2020, but a 12-person jury found him not guilty after deliberating for more than 24 hours (via CNN). Many Americans argued that Rittenhouse should not have been at the protest with an illegally-obtained AR-15 after crossing state lines from Illinois. They also argue he provoked the violence that led to the shootings. Others have touted him as a hero who acted in self defense, especially on America's political right.
In fact, after his acquittal, it was revealed that Fox News' Tucker Carlson had exclusive access to Rittenhouse and his attorneys to interviews during the trial (via The Associated Press), but it's one of Rittenhouse's attorneys who seems to be disturbed by the role his client now plays in American politics and took to task certain figures on the right, including Donald Trump Jr.
Republican leaders want to offer the world to Kyle Rittenhouse
After the news became public that Fox News was with Kyle Rittenhouse during the trial, his attorney, Mark Richards, said he did not approve of it (via Associated Press). In fact, he told Insider that he's a little put off by the various Republican figureheads offering Rittenhouse the world after his acquittal. For example, Florida Representative Matt Gaetz told Newsmax that Rittenhouse would make a great congressional intern (via Twitter).
Representative Paul Gosar, who was just censured by the House for posting a violent video depicting the murder of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (via CBS), agreed with Gaetz, tweeting, "Justice was served for #KyleRittenhouse and he is fully exonerated. As I said last year, obviously self-defense. I will arm wrestle @mattgaetz to get dibs for Kyle as an intern."
Not to be outdone, Donald Trump Jr, the former president's son who has no official governmental role, later tweeted a suggestion that Rittenhouse should be rewarded with a weapon. "Gun Owners of America is sending Kyle Rittenhouse an AR-15. Sign the card in support of Kyle. Americans have a fundamental right to defend themselves and to keep and bear arms. The verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial is a recognition of those rights," Trump wrote in a tweet that has since been deleted (via Insider).
Kyle Rittenhouse's attorney doesn't like the aftermath of his client's acquittal
Mark Richards, Kyle Rittenhouse's defense attorney, couldn't believe the reaction from the American right after his client was acquitted and is speaking out about it, especially after learning that politicians were fundraising by using Rittenhouse as a new Republican American hero. "There's a lot of people trying to profit on this, and I don't think people should," Richards told Insider, adding. "They're raising money on it and you have all these Republican congressmen saying come work for me. They want to trade on his celebrity and I think it's disgusting."
As for Donald Trump Jr.'s presumption that the Rittenhouse verdict is a victory for American gun owners and that he wants to send the acquitted teen a brand-new assault rifle, Richards was pretty blunt in his assessment.
"He's an idiot. I don't have to expand on that because it speaks for itself," Richards said.