The acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse in his murder trial Friday was either a triumph of justice or White supremacy, depending on which side of the aisle you are on in Congress.
Rep. Cori Bush, a Missouri Democrat and Black Lives Matter activist, said the verdict was “White supremacy in action.”
“This system isn’t built to hold White supremacists accountable,” the member of the far-left “squad” from Missouri added. “It’s why Black and brown folks are brutalized and put in cages while White supremacists murderers walk free.”
Mr. Rittenhouse does not claim to be a White supremacist.
“I’m hurt. I’m angry. I’m heartbroken,” Ms. Bush concluded.
Rep. Adriano Espaillat said Mr. Rittenhouse “is living proof that White tears can still forestall justice,” echoing a recent viral post by MSNBC personality Joy Reid. She compared Mr. Rittenhouse breaking down in tears while on the stand to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing after he was accused of sexually assaulting a classmate in high school.
SEE ALSO: Jury finds Rittenhouse not guilty in Kenosha shootings
“A murder is once again walking free today - our system is terribly broken,” said Mr. Espaillat, New York Democrat.
On the Republican side, some of the party’s outspoken members cheered the verdict that allowed the 18-year-old Mr. Rittenhouse to walk out of the courthouse as a free man.
“Those who help, protect, and defend are the good guys,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Republican, said on Twitter soon after the verdict was reached.
“Kyle is one of the good ones,” she said.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, Florida Florida, gushed on Twitter: “Kyle Rittenhouse committed no crimes. Acquitted on ALL COUNTS.
Mr. Gaetz staked out his position before the jury reached its verdict. He previously said Mr. Rittenhouse would “probably make a good congressional intern.”
Rep. Paul Gosar, Arizona Republican, followed a separate tweet by Mr. Gaetz announcing the verdict claiming that justice was served.
“As I said last year, obviously self-defense,” Mr. Gosar wrote.
“I will arm wrestle @mattgaetz to get dibs for Kyle as an intern,” he added.
The House this week censured Mr. Gosar and strip him of his committee assignments because of an anime video he posted online depicting a sword-fighting battle where he kills a giant warrior photoshopped with the face of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York Democrat.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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