After Rittenhouse was acquitted in a Wisconsin courtroom of murder and other felony charges, prominent Republicans cheered, and he even sat for an interview with Fox News’s Tucker Carlson. Statements of support poured in from former President Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Republicans running in competitive congressional primaries, including Senate candidates Blake Masters in Arizona and Jane Timken in Ohio.
“That could have been any of us,” Masters said. “That could have been my son.”
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Republican Mark McCloskey traveled to Kenosha for the trial in support of Rittenhouse in his Missouri Senate prospects.
Republican strategists say Rittenhouse has captured the imagination of high-profile GOP political figures and the party’s 2022 candidates because the issues surrounding his trial hit Conservative sweet spots in the culture clash-driven politics of the Trump era.
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For grassroots Republicans, the Rittenhouse verdict bolstered Second Amendment rights. It represented a victory for the rule of law over an unjust prosecution. The liberal media branded Rittenhouse guilty from the get-go — and as a white supremacist to boot, despite the lack of evidence that he was motivated by racism.
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“No, he should not have been there. And, also, no, he should not have been convicted of murder. Both things can be true,” declared a Republican operative in the Midwest. “It’s a win-win. Gun rights won out in a court of law, and the liberal media got their comeuppance.”
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President Biden responded to the verdict, urging to respect the jury’s decision, insisting the American system of justice should be respected.
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Still, Biden reflected the dismay of many Democrats who believed that Rittenhouse was guilty of murder and that he inserted himself into the Kenosha riots because of racial hatred toward Black people.
In comments to reporters, Biden said, “I stand by what the jury has concluded … the jury system works, and we have to abide by it.”
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But in a prepared statement issued later, the president acknowledged that the Rittenhouse acquittal left “many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included.” His was among the more mild expressions of disappointment expressed on the Left.
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Although Republicans have latched on to Rittenhouse in their effort to make common cause with the GOP base and outflank primary opponents, some have been more measured than others. Where some Republican contenders have lauded Rittenhouse personally, others have devoted more attention to the legal implications of the outcome of his trial.
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“The Rittenhouse verdict affirms that the right to self-defense and our 2nd Amendment rights are paramount and cannot be taken away,” Timken said. “This case also demonstrates the need to back the blue and protect law and order,” she added.
“Democrat leaders' decisions to cede our cities to criminals and rioters in Kenosha and across the country created a lawless vacuum that went against the very principles of our nation and must never happen again.”
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