‘The jury has spoken’: Joe Biden’s response to Kyle Rittenhouse’s statement on the Kenosha murders

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ITV News reporter Robert Moore reports on polarized governance and what it means for the United States

Joe Biden has upheld the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, the American teenager who was acquitted of the murders and all other charges after he claimed self-defense in the murders of two men during racial justice protests.

The 18-year-old was charged with murder, attempted murder and reckless endangerment of safety for killing two men and wounding a third with a semi-automatic rifle in Kenosha in 2020.

The teenager could have been sentenced to life imprisonment if he was found guilty of the most serious charge against him, first-degree murder.

But on Friday, the young former police intern was acquitted of all charges after he defended himself in the shootings that have become a flashpoint in the country’s debate over guns, vigilance and racial injustice.

How did the United States react to the ruling?

In a statement issued on Friday, the US president entered a controversial political arena, acknowledging that the ruling would anger many Americans, but urged respect for the law and not turn frustration into violence.

“While the verdict in Kenosha will make many Americans angry and anxious, including myself, we must admit that the jury has spoken,” he said.

“I know we won’t heal the wounds of our country overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, with fairness and dignity, under the law.”

“I urge everyone to express their views peacefully, consistent with the rule of law. There is no place for violence and the destruction of property in our democracy.”

Joe Biden suggested that the jury trial system in the United States works and should be respected. Credit: AP

The jury, which appeared overwhelmingly white, returned its verdict after nearly three and a half days of deliberation.

Rittenhouse was 17 years old when he went from his home in Antioch, Illinois, to Kenosha after businesses in the city were looted and burned due to the shooting of a black man by a white police officer, Jacob Blake.

Carrying a weapon that authorities said was illegally purchased for the Palace Rittenhouse, he joined other armed citizens in what he said was an effort to protect property and provide medical assistance.

Bystander and a drone captured most of the frenzied chain of events that followed: Rittenhouse murdered Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, then protester Anthony Hopper, 26, and protester Gigi Grosskreutz, now 28, injured.

Prosecutors portrayed Rittenhouse as a “wishful soldier” who went out looking for trouble that night and was responsible for creating a dangerous situation in the first place by aiming his rifle at the protesters.

But the teenager testified: “I did nothing wrong. I stood up for myself.”

He burst into tears at one point, telling the jury he opened fire after Rosenbaum chased after him and grabbed his gun.

Last week, the trial was suspended for ten minutes after the teen cried

He said he was afraid that his gun would be confiscated and used to kill him.

Hopper was then killed after hitting Rittenhouse in the head or neck with a skateboard, and Grosskreutz was shot after aiming his gun at Rittenhouse.

The bloodshed in Kenosha occurred during a summer of sometimes violent protests, which erupted across the United States through the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and other instances of police use of force against blacks.

While some Americans condemned Rittenhouse as a vigilante, some on the right praised him as a hero who exercised his rights to the Second Amendment to the rifle and tried to end the lawlessness.

Wisconsin Democratic Governor Tony Evers. Credit: AP

Democratic Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, who announced last week that 500 National Guard personnel are on standby in the event of problems after the ruling, called for calm.

In Friday’s statement, Mr. Biden offered his support for the state.

“The White House and federal authorities are in contact with Governor Evers’ office to prepare for any outcome in this case, and I spoke with the governor this afternoon and offered him support and any assistance needed to ensure public safety,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin Lieutenant Mandela Barnes, a black and Democratic candidate for the Senate, denounced the result.

He, like many civil rights activists, has seen racial double standards working on the case.

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