Biden stands by jury’s decision in Rittenhouse trial

On Friday, President Biden said he stands by the jury’s decision to acquit Kyle Rittenhouse, a teenager who fatally shot two protesters in Wisconsin.

Rittenhouse, 18, was accused of killing two men and wounding another during protests in Wisconsin on August 25, 2020. The teenager was found not guilty on all five charges.

“Well look, I stand by what the jury has concluded. The jury system works and we have to abide by it,” said Biden. The president said he did not watch the trial.

In a statement released later on Friday by the White House, Biden said that “while the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken."

“I know that we’re not going to heal our country’s wounds overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, with fairness and dignity, under the law,” he added.

"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,” he added.

During the 2020 elections, Donald Trump sympathized with Rittenhouse. Biden criticized Trump for “refusing to disavow white supremacists.” Later on, Biden’s campaign used the image of Rittenhouse in a video.

Rittenhouse’s mother said the video “defamed” her son by suggesting he was a white supremacist.

The Rittenhouse incident occurred during the civil unrest that took place in Wisconsin over the shooting of a black man, Jacob Blake, by a white police officer.