The Wisconsin Governor has called up hundreds of National Guard troops as the Kyle Rittenhouse trial comes to a close.
Tony Evers has called for 500 troops to add to the hundreds of police officers, and says the decision was necessary to “ensure public safety”.
In a statement he said:
“The Kenosha community has been strong, resilient, and has come together through incredibly difficult times these past two years, and that healing is still ongoing,”
“I urge folks who are otherwise not from the area to please respect the community by reconsidering any plans to travel there and encourage those who might choose to assemble and exercise their First Amendment rights to do so safely and peacefully.”
Meanwhile, Kyle Rittenhouse’s mom has accused Joe Biden of ‘defaming’ her son.
Wendy Rittenhouse isn’t happy about a tweet from the President last year that suggested Kyle was a white supremacist.
She told Sean Hannity on his Fox News show on Thursday night:
“When I saw that I was shocked, I was angry. President Biden don’t know my son whatsoever, and he’s not a white supremacist,” she said.
“He’s not a racist. And [Biden] did that for the votes. And I was so angry for a while at him and what he did to my son, he defamed him.”
Here’s the tweet in question that has outraged Wendy:
There’s no other way to put it: the President of the United States refused to disavow white supremacists on the debate stage last night. pic.twitter.com/Q3VZTW1vUV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 30, 2020
The Judge leading the Kyle Rittenhouse case has been slammed with accusations of bias after berating the prosecution.
Judge Bruce Schroeder criticized prosecutor Thomas Binger for his conduct, and it has led to calls for Schroeder to be removed from the case.
Mr Schroeder shouted:
“Why would you think that that made it okay for you without any advance notice to bring this matter before the jury?”
“I was astonished when you began your examination by commenting on the defendant’s post-arrest silence. That’s basic law. It’s been basic law in this country for 40 years, 50 years. I have no idea why you would do something like that.”
Here’s the video:
WATCH: Judge in Rittenhouse case berates prosecutor over line of questioning.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 10, 2021
Tiffany Cross, the host of The Cross Connection on MSNBC, was one of many people to accuse the judge of bias.
The judge is CLEARLY BIASED!!!!!!
— @tiffanydcross (@TiffanyDCross) November 10, 2021
Realistically, he can't be. He's elected. Even if he's disciplined later by the state (which he won't be) there's nothing for it for *this* trial.
And if he gets off, he can't be re-tried because of Double Jeopardy.So, like I said two weeks ago, Rittenhouse is gonna walk.
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) November 10, 2021
Meanwhile, a man who was shot by Kyle Rittenhouse has responded to his teary testimony in court.
Gaige Grosskreutz was shot in the arm by Rittenhouse last August, while Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, tragically both died from their gunshot wounds.
Grosskreutz told the Jury that he thought Rittenhouse was ‘an active shooter’ and that he only drew a pistol after Rittenhouse had already begun firing.
Rittenhouse has always claimed he acted in self defense that night.
The 27-year-old victim has now spoken to Good Morning America in his first interview since appearing in court.
Responding to Rittenhouse’s teary testimonial, Grosskreutz said:
“To me, it seemed like a child who just gotten caught doing something that he wasn’t supposed to – more upset that he was caught and less upset about what he had done and what he had taken and the numerous lives that he affected through his actions that night.”
Recalling the night, Grosskreutz said:
“There are a million things that run through your mind when somebody’s pointing a rifle at you after just having murdered somebody.
“First and foremost I was concerned for my safety. I never lost sight of who I am, I’m not somebody who takes life, I’ve made a life out of protecting and preserving life, not taking it.”
“It’s completely inconsistent with the physiology of my wound that he wound have shot me while my weapon was pointed at his head,
EXCLUSIVE: “To me, he seemed like a child … more upset that he was caught and less upset about what he had done … and the numerous lives that he affected.” — Gage Grosskreutz, the sole survivor shot by Kyle Rittenhouse, reacts to his testimony. https://t.co/DRURCHHX5R pic.twitter.com/wIKHjbVyH1
— Good Morning America (@GMA) November 11, 2021
The judge had to pause court proceedings when Kyle Rittenhouse sobbed uncontrollably discussing the night he fatally shot two men.
The 18-year-old testified that before the shooting, one of the men he shot dead, Rosenbaum, had a “steel chain and a blue mask around his face” and threatened to kill him.
Rittenhouse told the court:
“He screamed ‘if I catch any of you f*ckers alone, I’m going to f*cking kill you. “The second time he said ‘I’m going to cut your f*cking hearts out and kill you N-words.'”
Later, he alleged that Rosenbaum “came out from behind the car and ambushed me”.
Rittenhouse then began sobbing as he told how Rosenbaum and another man, Joshua Ziminski, allegedly cornered him.
The judge then paused the testimony as Rittenhouse and his mother cried uncontrollably.
When the court resumed, attorney Mark Richards asked about the alleged ambush, and Rittenhouse told the attorney he thought he was being attacked.
“As you see him lunging at you, what did you do?”
“I shot him,” Mr Rittenhouse said.
The trial continues.
