What can you do to restore your reputation?
Kyle Rittenhouse may be justified in asking that question after he was found not guilty on all charges in the shooting of three men in Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 25, 2020.
One might be surprised by the verdict of the jury if they had listened carefully to the opinions of some of America’s leading voices in politics over the last fifteen months.
They were not told that story.
Joe Biden of the Progressive ‘Squad, as well as many liberal media professionals, claims Rittenhouse was a “white supremacist”, a “domestic terrorist”, a vigilante, and a coldblooded murderer.
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the Chairman of the Democratic Caucus, apparently didn’t think a fair hearing was even necessary.
He declared via Twitter, “Lock Kyle Rittenhouse up and toss the key,” as the murder trial progressed.
In the wake of the verdict there is a chorus calling for recognition that an 18 year-old boy was possibly smeared by some of America’s most powerful people.
Some prominent left voices, such as Joe Biden (left), then-presidential candidate, and the progressive Squad (bottom right), labeled him a white supremacist and a domestic terrorist, while the liberal media (bottom center) called him a vigilante.
‘Don’t forget the candidate for the U.S. president himself last year prior to the election called Kyle Rittenhouse a white supremacist,’ said David Hancock, a spokesman for Rittenhouse, on November 9 on Fox News.
Joe Biden described him as a white supremacist, which is alarming. He said it in reference to the 2020 Biden Harris campaign video that was tweeted by his then-nominee.
Video of alleged white supremacists wielding torches at Charlottesville, Virginia during the Unite the Right 2017 rally, which was spurred by plans to demolish statues honoring Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee (and Stonewall Jackson)
The image shows Rittenhouse with a gun in Kenosha. Below the photo, Chris Wallace (Fox News) plays audio. You can listen to Wallace interrogating President Trump about his refusal to condemn “white supremacists” and other militia groups.
It was obvious that Rittenhouse is a white supremacist.
“President Biden doesn’t even know my son,” said Rittenhouse’s mother Wendy Rittenhouse. He’s not a white supremacist,’ insisted Rittenhouse’s mother, Wendy Rittenhouse, on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show on November 10.
“He is not racist.” And [Biden]That was for the votes. “I was angry at him for what he did my son and he made fun of me.
Democracy Now! It was possible to draw a comparison between Rittenhouse’s case and that of three white men charged with chasing Ahmaud, a black, down in Brunswick, Georgia.
Wendy Rittenhouse appeared to be supported by Anti-Defamation League investigators.
The ADL reportedly telling CBS News that they found no indication in Rittenhouse’s social media footprint of any connection to extremist groups.
In the closing argument of the prosecution, the expression ‘white supremacist’ and the words “extremist”, “racist” or “bigot” were never mentioned.
This was not in their case. Apparently, the evidence was lacking to back up this allegation.
Rittenhouse was wrong. He stuck to that horrible description for the months and weeks leading up his trial.
Democracy Now! ran the headline, “White Supremacy on Trial: From Rittenhouse in Kenosha to Killers of Ahmaud Arbery, Will They Go Free?” More than a full year after Biden sent his tweet. The headline was “White Supremacy On Trial: From Rittenhouse, Kenosha, to Killers Of Ahmaud Arbery. Will They Go Free?”
Brittany Packnett Cunningham (ex-Obama administration appointee) summarized the left-wing story best in November 13.
According to Cunningham, a legal defense of Rittenhouse is in itself proof of white supremacy.
She stated that there are only so many unacceptable losses white supremacy will accept.
“So, if Derek Chauvin goes to prison, then you have to believe Ahmaud Arbery’s murders and Kyle Rittenhouse are being defended with everything this culture has.
“Because they must make sure the message that white men continue to control the systems is being sent, that all other people should live in fear and not be afraid.
Tulsi Gabriel, former Democratic Congresswoman raised concerns about Rittenhouse’s vitriol.
‘With no evidence, MSM & antifa-loving politicians immediately labeled Rittenhouse a white supremacist terrorist,’ she tweeted on November 11, using an acronym for the mainstream media.
“It is obvious that it’s now.” [Rittenhouse] was just a foolish kid who felt he needed to protect people & the community from rioters & arsonists because the government failed to do so,’ she concluded after days of courtroom testimony.
Bill Ackman, a billionaire hedge fund titan who is also a well-known Trump critic took to Twitter to express his dismay at the way the media portrays the case.
Ackman claimed that after hours of listening to testimony, the teen was ‘telling truth’ and that he had acted in self defence.
Ackman asserts that Rittenhouse was shocked by his remarks. A caller said that Kyle’s innocence is something he could not believe because he’s not a right-winger.
Ackman attacked the coverage by the news media, saying it had obscured his view of the facts.
He tweeted, “Our first impressions of Kyle were significantly different than those that we had previously made based on media articles.”
I encourage you to see the trial. At a minimum, his testimony, and cross-examination, before you have a clear view about your guilt or innocence.
Many on the Left didn’t listen, and many even waited for the trial.
Hours after the Kenosha incident, Rep. Jamaal (D-NY), urged Biden “condemn the armies” that he felt were responsible for the violence.
New York Democrat claimed that domestic terrorists sought to incite a race war.
Ayanna and IIhan Pressley, both progressive congresswomen (D-MA), quickly responded to the call. Both named Rittenhouse a “white supremacist” and a “domestic terrorist”.
Omar even claimed Rittenhouse had ‘executed 2 people’
Rittenhouse only faced one charge of first-degree intention homicide. He was deemed ‘not guilty by the jury’.
Jamaal bowman (Rep.) accused Kenosha police of their involvement in the shooting which resulted to two deaths in Kenosha in Wisconsin, August 2020.
AyannaPressley (D–MA) specifically targeted Rittenhouse with a tweet. Referring to Rittenhouse as a white supremacist domestic terrorist, she called him that.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez claimed that Rittenhouse’s detention was evidence of ‘white supremacy deep within our carceral system’
Representative Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY), Chairman of the Democratic Caucus demanded that Kyle Rittenhouse be convicted. The teen was being tried for murder.
Pressley seemed to be asking the media for help fixing their headlines.
Esquire wrote that a 17-year old crosses state boundaries with a military-style weapon and kills two people.
David A. wrote, “White domestic terrorists like Kyle Rittenhouse must be held to an entirely different standard,” Rutgers professor David A. The Grio is my love.
In an article focusing on the ‘explosive rise of white supremacist extremism over the past decade,’ Rittenhouse was identified by The Intercept as one of many ‘white supremacist’ defendants.
Rittenhouse was released in November 2020 on a bond of $2 million. This event also triggered the left.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic Representative from New York (D-NY), stated that Rittenhouse’s freedom was evidence of white supremacy ingrained deep in our carceral systems.
Mehdi Hadan from MSNBC wrote: “Imagine if Kyle Rittenhouse had been Muslim.” It was a suggestion of bigotry.
“Where was he radicalized?” He seemed to be assuming Rittenhouse’s fault, asking rhetorically.
As Illinois’ teen approached his court date, Judge Bruce Schroeder made a decision that set the stage for the teen to return.
Schroeder decided that Rittenhouse’s victims could not be referred to by the prosecution.
The judge, however, would allow the defense to refer to ‘rioters’, ‘looters’, and ‘arsonists,’ if evidence showed that those individuals were involved in those activities.
This was far too much for Rep. Cori (D-MO), a far-left representative.
Rep. Cori bush tweeted, “The white supremacist murdereder is just a kid” but that those fighting for Black lives are rioters and looters as well as arsonists.”
The white supremacist murdereder is ‘just’ a kid, but Black victims of the struggle for Black lives are “rioters”, “looters” and “arsonists,” she tweeted.
Many media outlets framed the case to undermine the Rittenhouse defense team’s position in line with the narrative.
‘I defended myself,’ the teen testified at trial, recalling the moments before he shot Joseph Rosenbaum, one of two men he killed that night.
“He chased me. I was alone. He threatened to kill him earlier in the night. He said, “I didn’t want him to be shot.”
This was not how the media presented the facts.
The Daily Beast’s headline, “Teen Vigilante Kills Unarmed Kenosha Protester That Threw A Plastic Bag At Him: Court Docs”, was published several days following the incident.
On November 12, with the trial underway, CNN’s Brianna Keilar drew a parallel between the Rittenhouse case and the trial of three white men accused of chasing down and murdering Ahmaud Arbery, a black man, in Brunswick, Georgia on February 23, 2020.
Keilar claimed that both were instances of white wannabe vigilantism.
Don Lemon (CNN’s Primetime Host), agreed and said Americans were ‘not supposed’ to be taking their justice into their own hands.
Commentaries seem to ignore testimony suggesting that Rittenhouse’s men may have been aggressors.
Rosenbaum was a former Marine who was captured on surveillance video rushing the teenager before he died.
Richie McGinniss from Daily Caller, an eyewitness who witnessed Rosenbaum attempt to take Rittenhouse’s gun, testified. Rittenhouse also said the exact same thing under oath.
Daily Caller reporter Richie McGinniss was an eyewitness to Rittenhouse shooting Joseph Rosenbaum and he reviewed drone footage at trial
McGinniss at the trial testified that Rosenbaum tried to steal Rittenhouse’s weapon
Kariann, Rosenbaum’s girlfriend, said that Rosenbaum was under treatment for both bipolar disorder (and depression). Rosenbaum had not yet taken his medication because the pharmacy was closed due to the riots.
Rosenbaum, according to The Associated Press was released by the hospital in recent days after a suicide attempt.
Rittenhouse further testified that Rosenbaum had threatened Rittenhouse that evening, when the teenager allegedly set out to extinguish rioters-incited fires.
Rittenhouse said that Rosenbaum threatened to kill any expletives he caught.
Anthony Huber, also shot and murdered by Rittenhouse was caught on camera hitting Rittenhouse the head with a board.
Gaige Grosskreutz who was shot by Rittenhouse, was also hurt.
Final, the media commentaries surrounding this case have included significant falsifications.
After prosecutors announced that Rittenhouse would face a misdemeanor underage firearms possession charge claims began circulating on social media, observing that that it was ‘perfectly legal’ for Rittenhouse to possess a rifle ‘without parental supervision.’
Politifact refuted Rittenhouse’s claims of not violating Wisconsin law for possessing a firearm in Kenosha. At trial, the misdemeanor underage firearms possession charge was dismissed.
Politifact was a website that is self-described as a ‘nonpartisan fact checking site’. The Poynter Institute is a non-profit school for journalists and it pounced.
Politifact’s staff writer Daniel Funke called that claim ‘false.’ He also reported that Facebook flagged it as part of its ‘efforts against false news and misinformation .
Rittenhouse may have had a firearm in his possession, which could be considered legal.
Just before closing arguments started, Judge Schroeder dropped the charges. Defense lawyers had pointed out that this law applies only to weapons with a short barrel and less than 12 inches in length.
The Smith & Wesson rifle that Rittenhouse carried has a 16-inch barrel.
In August 2020, Congresswoman Pressley tweets that Rittenhouse had illegally carried a weapon “across state borders”.
The claim was made in other news media at the same time. However, in an October 2020 statement by the Lake County State’s Attorney office, they refuted that claim.
They found Rittenhouse didn’t have a gun that could be carried across state borders.
At trial, a friend of Rittenhouse, Dominick Black, testified that he purchased the Smith & Wesson M&P 15 used in the incident. Black claimed that he kept the weapon at his Kenosha home.
Black said that Rittenhouse also took him to Kenosha’s downtown area, in spite of media claims that Rittenhouse had taken her son.
Unfortunately, none of this information made it into Joy Behar’s ‘The View.
“The man crosses state borders with an AR-15 and his mother…to defend himself.” What? Behar said it incorrectly the day Rittenhouse testified.
“The man crosses state borders with an AR-15 and his mother…to defend himself.” How? She claimed that Rittenhouse was against her testimony.
He says that they are protesting in another state, and then he goes there. He then says that it is self defense – no.
Additionally, the liberal media’s fixation on the fact that Rittenhouse ‘crossed state lines,’ a characterization repeated ad nauseam, ignores critical context.
Rittenhouse, at the time, lived in Antioch (Illinois), with his mother. This is right on the Illinois-Wisconsin frontier. He presumably travelled frequently between states.
His father lives in Kenosha (Wisconsin), which is 20 miles from Rittenhouse’s hometown. Rittenhouse seems to have good reasons for feeling a strong connection with that community.
As the trial ended, Joe Scarborough from MSNBC made an original contribution.
“He drove his mother across the state line, and he made himself a member of the militia. He travels around the country and ends up loading — how? He fires 60 rounds and kills two people. A third victim …’is also hurt
Liberal media focus on Rittenhouse crossing state borders, a description repeated many times, but ignores the critical context. Antioch can be reached by only 20 miles via Kenosha (Wisconsin), which is also where his father resides.
Rittenhouse was actually able to fire at least eight shots. Scarborough then took to Twitter and claimed that he was misinforming.
“This is clearly wrong for anyone who has been following this case more than one minute. It was actually 60 seconds. He tweeted, “Thanks for pointing it out.”
As closing arguments in Rittenhouse’s case were nearing completion, Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, was asked by Biden about his portrayal of Rittenhouse as a white supremacist teenager in his campaign video.
Psaki made a last joke after stating that she couldn’t comment on the ‘ongoing trials’.
She spoke from the White House briefing space.
“We should not have opportunityists corrupting peaceful demonstrations by rioting or burning down communities they claim represent anywhere in the nation.”
She was speaking of you, and I am the judge.