By now, the verdict is in for Kyle Rittenhouse.
The teen who claimed self-defense in the killing of two men in Kenosha, Wisconsin during civil unrest in the city last summer had his final day in court, and it was good news for him and his followers.
Keep in mind that this 18-year-old man faced a mandatory life sentence if convicted.
That, fortunately for him, didn’t happen.
He was found not guilty on all charges by a jury that took days to deliberate.
The judge in the case, Bruce Schroeder, said that it was one of the finest juries that he’s ever had the privilege of working with and praised their attentiveness and cooperation.
Many people are hailing Kyle as a hero and a defender of Second Amendment rights, including Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.
In an appearance on the show “Stinchfield” on Newsmax, the Florida congressman who stated that he fully believed, since the interview took place before the verdict came out, that Kye should be found not guilty.
Then Rep. Gaetz made a further offer to Kyle, and it would be pretty interesting should he choose to take the congressman up on it.
A Job for Kyle Rittenhouse
Rep. Gaetz said that, “Kyle Rittenhouse would probably be a good Congressional intern. We may reach out to him and see if he’d be interested in helping the country in additional ways.”
It may have been an off-handed thing for Gaetz to say, but it does go to a fundamental belief on the right that what Kyle did in Kenosha was justified completely.
Many on the Republican side are looking at Kyle like an icon to Second Amendment rights and a stand your ground defense.
Rep. Gaetz’s team later posted that same statement and video to his Twitter account (@RepMattGaetz), so he was obviously very pleased with the potential offer he plans on giving to Kyle.
He’s probably not the only one who is looking to further advance their cause by using the teen as a uniting symbol for the party.
A Hero to the Republican Party
Even though there are many people who are divided on the outcome of Kyle’s case, it’s clear that the GOP is very much in his corner.
They feel that justice was served in this case with Kyle’s total exoneration of first-degree intentional homicide.
They believe he acted in self-defense and went to Kenosha that day in August of 2020 from Illinois, as a minor who was 17-years-old at the time, carrying an AR-style semi-automatic rifle openly during a contentious situation of protesting after the shooting of Jacob Blake seven times by the police in that area.
He was left paralyzed as a result.
So what does the President of the United States and the vice president have to say?
In a public statement after the verdict came out, Biden said that he’s respecting the decision of the jury, which is a fair assessment without coming out to say what he directly thought of Kyle’s actions that day.
Joe later made a more complete statement saying that he, like many Americans, was angry and concerned about the verdict.
He also urged potential protestors to do so peacefully, without destruction of property and danger.
There were some riots and protests after the verdict was read in bigger cities, like New York City and Portland, Oregon.
Vice President Harris said in her statement on Twitter that “today’s verdict speaks for itself. I’ve spent the majority of my career working to make our justice system more equitable, it’s clear there is still a lot more work to do.”
The Future for Kyle Rittenhouse
Kyle Rittenhouse will probably get quite a few offers to make appearances and speak at various Republican events in the coming years.
It’s hard to say if Rep. Gaetz will follow up on his offer to Kyle, or if it was something he said off the cuff on television just to show his support for the teen.
All that’s really clear at this point is that the future for Kyle won’t be behind bars anytime soon.
