Kyle Rittenhouse responded Monday to President Joe Biden’s September 2020 claim made after a presidential debate that likened him to a white supremacist.
Rittenhouse, acquitted Friday by Kenosha, Wisconsin, jury of all five charges related to his August 2020 shooting of three men during a protest, gave an interview to Fox News host and Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson, during which he addressed the president’s characterization of him.
Tucker: “What did you make of the president of the United States calling you a white supremacist?”
Rittenhouse: “It’s actual malice, defaming my character, for him to say something like that.” pic.twitter.com/90OnmwFyNU
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 23, 2021
“What did you make of the president of the United States calling you a white supremacist?” Carlson asked his guest.
“Mr. President, if I can say one thing to you, I would urge you to go back and watch the trial and understand the facts before you make a statement,” Rittenhouse responded. “It’s actual malice, defaming my character, for him to say something like that.”
In September 2020, then presidential-candidate Biden claimed after a presidential debate that former President Donald Trump “refused to disavow white supremacists on the debate stage last night,” posting a video that showed various “white supremacist” groups, among whom was Rittenhouse.
Wendy Rittenhouse, Kyle’s mother, said Thursday she was “shocked” and “angry” at Biden for accusing her son of being a white supremacist, claiming that Biden took advantage of Kyle to boost his support before the 2020 election. (RELATED: Rittenhouse’s Lawyer Slams Biden For Suggesting Rittenhouse Is A ‘White Supremacist’)
Following Rittenhouse’s acquittal, Biden said he stood by “what the jury has concluded,” only to later issue a statement, where he expressed his concern with the decision.
“While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken,” Biden said in an official statement released later. “I urge everyone to express their views peacefully, consistent with the rule of law. Violence and destruction of property have no place in our democracy.”