Donald Trump Jr. responded to Kyle Rittenhouse’s acquittal by encouraging people to sign a card of support that will be sent to the teenager, alongside an AR-15 rifle.
Former President Donald Trump’s son amplified powerful gun lobbying group Gun Owners of America’s “award” for Rittenhouse to his 7.1 million Twitter followers on Friday night.
“Sign the card in support of Kyle,” Trump urged just hours after Rittenhouse, 18, was found not guilty on all charges relating to his shooting of three people, and killing of two, during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year, when he was armed with an AR-style semiautomatic weapon.
“Americans have a fundamental right to defend themselves, and to keep and bear arms,” Trump added, copying the text on the GOA’s website. “The verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial is a recognition of those rights.”
He later deleted the post, below:
In earlier tweets reacting to the trial, Trump struck a gleeful tone similar to other right-wingers when he said the jury gave President Joe Biden “his second colonoscopy of the day.” He also attacked Vice President Kamala Harris and NBA star LeBron James.
Critics called the GOA out over the stunt and Trump for endorsing it: