Trump said he met Kyle Rittenhouse after the verdict, calling him a ‘kind young man’

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WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump said he met with Kyle Rittenhouse after the teenager was found not guilty last week of the fatal shooting of two men and wounding a third during protests in Kenosha, Wis., Last year.

Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Tuesday night that Rittenhouse was “really a good young man” and that “he knew him a little bit.”

“He wanted to know if he could come over and say hello,” Trump said. “He’s a fan, unlike any other guy.”

Rittenhouse, of Antioch, Illinois, was cleared of all five cases related to his actions on Aug. 25 last year during the shooting protests against a Black man, Jacob Blake, by a white Kenosha police officer.

The now 18-year-old has been charged with reckless homicide in the slaying of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and intentional homicide in the death of Anthony Huber, 26. He also faces an attempted intentional homicide charge for grievous bodily harm to Gaige Grosskreutz, a The 27-year-old paramedic from suburban Milwaukee who was there that night volunteered for his medical services, and two counts of reckless putting safety at risk.

Trump defended Rittenhouse, saying, “What he went through, he must have experienced-that is wrong prosecution behavior. He should not have to suffer through a trial for that.”

“If he didn’t pull that trigger, that person who put the gun to his head, in a quarter of a second he would pull the trigger,” Trump added. “Kyle would have been dead”

Rittenhouse testified in his own defense last week and said all the shootings were acts of self -defense. He and the other armed men said they went to Kenosha to protect private property during the protest.

Huber and Rosenbaum were unarmed when Rittenhouse shot them, but Grosskreutz approached him holding a pistol when Rittenhouse fired.

Rittenhouse also tried to shoot an unknown man, known in court as the “jump kick man,” who tried to kick the defendant in the face, and prosecutors said Rittenhouse may have injured another man when he shot Rosenbaum. .

Teaganne Finn is a political reporter for NBC News.

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