White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has refused to retract President Biden’s comments describing 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse as a White supremacist. Fox News reporter Peter Doocy questioned the president about his remark that Rittenhouse was a White supremacist during two separate instances.
Psaki replied that it is a campaign clip that President Trump released last year as he refused to condemn White supremacists or militia groups. She said that President Trump didn’t just refuse condemnation of militia groups on the debate stage, but encouraged them throughout his presidency.
She said that we’ve seen the tragic consequences when people believe it’s okay to take the law into themselves instead of allowing law enforcement to do its job. The president supports hatred, division, and violence.
Biden tweeted an image of Rittenhouse during his presidential campaign in which he attempted to link Trump with White supremacists. He attempted to portray Rittenhouse in a White supremacist light.
Biden stated that he didn’t have enough information to determine whether the 17-year-old boy did exactly what he claimed and that he’s allegedly he’s part of a militia. Doocy questioned Psaki about the statement.
Psaki replied that the president spoke last week to the verdict and clearly condemned the hatred, division, and violence that we’ve seen all over the country by groups such as the Proud Boys or groups that this individual has posted photos with. His comments on the verdict will be enough, however.
Last week, a Wisconsin jury acquitted Rittenhouse of the fatal shootings of two men last year during a riot in Kenosha. Biden stated Friday that the verdict would leave “many Americans feeling angry, concerned, and myself included”, but that the jury’s decision should be respected.
Rittenhouse told Tucker Carlson later that he felt that the president had defamed his character.
