Kyle Rittenhouse, in his post-acquittal tour, paid former President Donald Trump a visit Tuesday.


What You Need To Know

  • Kyle Rittenhouse, in his post-acquittal tour, paid former President Donald Trump a visit Tuesday

  • Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in an interview Tuesday night that Rittenhouse reached out to him asking for a meeting at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida

  • Trump accused prosecutors in Rittenhouse’s case of misconduct, saying he "should not have had to suffer through a trial for that"

  • Rittenhouse was acquitted after being charged with fatally shooting two men and wounding another during a racial justice protest on Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wisconsin

Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in an interview Tuesday night that Rittenhouse reached out to him asking for a meeting at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.

“I got to know him a little bit,” Trump said. “He called. He wants to know if he can come over and say hello ’cause he was a fan. … Came over with his mother. Really a nice, young man.”

Rittenhouse was charged with fatally shooting two men and wounding another during a racial justice protest on Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was acquitted by a jury Friday after claiming he acted in self-defense.

Trump accused prosecutors in Rittenhouse’s case of misconduct.

“He should not have had to suffer through a trial for that,” Trump said. “He was going to be dead. If he didn't pull that trigger, that guy that put the gun to his head in one quarter of a second, he was going to pull the trigger.”

The man Trump was referring to was Gaige Grosskreutz, whom was the third person shot by Rittenhouse and survived. Grosskreutz testified during the trial that he approached Rittenhouse believing he was an active shooter and that he pointed a handgun at Rittenhouse before the then 17-year-old fired at him.

Trump's comments are in line with ones he made about Rittenhouse's case while in office.

The former president said in August of 2020 that Rittenhouse "probably would have been killed" if he had not taken action, adding that video he saw showed Rittenhouse "was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like."

"It's something that we're looking at right now, and it's under investigation, but I guess he was in very big trouble, and ... he probably would have been killed," Trump said at the time.

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