Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz said Kyle Rittenhouse is not guilty of the charges brought against him, adding that he would “make a great Congressional intern.”
The Florida representative joined Newsmax host Grant Stinchfield Thursday arguing that Rittenhouse “deserves a not guilty verdict” and that his office may reach out to the 18-year-old defendant on a potential internship position.
“Thank you for your advocacy for Kyle Rittenhouse, he is not guilty,” Gaetz said. “He deserves a not guilty verdict and I sure hope he gets it, because you know what? Kyle Rittenhouse would probably make a good congressional intern. We may reach out to him to see if he’d be interested in helping the country in additional ways.”
Stinchfield said they will “fight for Rittenhouse” as he wants Rittenhouse to work at Newsmax, leading Gaetz to joke that the outlet pays better “but there’s nothing like the [Capitol] Hill.”
Rittenhouse stands trial facing five felony charges for the fatal shootings of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, as well as injuring Gaige Grosskreutz with his AR-15 style rifle on the evening of Aug. 25, 2020. Jury deliberations have resumed since Monday after the prosecution and defense presented their closing arguments.
The trial brought about political divisions, with an overwhelming majority of conservatives arguing in favor of Rittenhouse and liberal politicians and media criticizing the 18-year-old. (RELATED: Bakari Sellers Lies About Rittenhouse Four Times In 15 Seconds On CNN)
President Joe Biden suggested that Rittenhouse was a “white supremacist” in a Sept. 20 tweet intended to target former President Donald Trump in the midst of the 2020 presidential election. White House press secretary Jen Psaki recently dodged questions regarding Biden’s tweet when pressed by Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy.
“What I am not going to speak to right now is anything about an ongoing trial nor the president’s past comments,” Psaki said Monday.
NBA All-Star player LeBron James accused Rittenhouse of crying fake tears on the witness stand where he broke down in the middle of his testimony.
In a Tuesday op-ed, former Covington High School student Nicholas Sandmann said Rittenhouse should sue liberal media and elites for defamation. Podcast host Joe Rogan referred to the “left-wing” media coverage of Rittenhouse as “cult sh*t.”