- President Donald Trump at a press conference on Monday defended
Kyle Rittenhouse , a 17-year-old supporter charged with killing two men inKenosha , Wisconsin. - "That was an interesting situation," Trump said. "He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like, and he fell, and then they very violently attacked him."
- Trump did not mention that authorities believe Rittenhouse had already fatally shot one person before the scene he described.
- Rittenhouse has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree intentional homicide, and attempted first-degree intentional homicide.
President Donald Trump refused to condemn the actions of a 17-year-old supporter who has been charged with killing two men last week in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
"That was an interesting situation," Trump said at a press conference Monday. "He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like, and he fell, and then they very violently attacked him."
Trump did not mention that Kyle Rittenhouse was suspected of fatally shooting one person even before the scene he described.
Rittenhouse, who crossed state lines to patrol the streets of Kenosha during protests and unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, is accused of shooting three people, according to a criminal complaint the state of Wisconsin filed Friday.
The first person shot was Joseph Rosenbaum. An autopsy found he was shot multiple times, including in the back, fracturing his pelvis and perforating his right lung and liver. He also had gunshot wounds to a thigh and his forehead.
Rittenhouse has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, and attempted first-degree intentional homicide, among other charges.
—Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 31, 2020
Rittenhouse's attorney has said the shootings were in self-defense, but the criminal complaint says video of the incident reviewed by the police showed the victim "appears to be unarmed."
The complaint says that after Rosenbaum was shot, Rittenhouse — who was carrying a semiautomatic rifle — tried to flee, prompting a chase, during which the complaint says he fell and then shot two men, Anthony Huber and Gaige Grosskreutz.
"He was in very big trouble," Trump said. "He probably would have been killed. It's under investigation."
But the criminal complaint cites video of the incident that it says shows Huber was not attempting to kill anyone but rather "appears to be trying to pull the gun away from the defendant."
According to an autopsy, Huber died of a "gunshot wound to his chest that perforated his heart."
Biden immediately condemned Trump's comments
The Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, issued a statement condemning Trump's comments.
"Tonight, the president declined to rebuke violence," Biden said. "He wouldn't even repudiate one of his supporters who is charged with murder because of his attacks on others. He is too weak, too scared of the hatred he has stirred to put an end to it."
—Sarah Mucha (@sarahmucha) August 31, 2020
Initially, Trump's reelection campaign sought to distance the president from Rittenhouse, who attended a January rally for the president, as BuzzFeed News first reported.
"President Trump has repeatedly and consistently condemned all forms of violence," a representative said on Wednesday — despite the president encouraging violence against protesters and hecklers at his campaign rallies. "This individual had nothing to do with our campaign, and we fully support our fantastic law enforcement for their swift action in this case."
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