Defends Kyle Rittenhouse, 17-year-old charged with murdering two Kenosha protesters

When asked if he would condemn the actions of Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old charged with murdering two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Trump instead defended him. He claimed Rittenhouse 'was trying to get away from' protesters and 'probably would have been killed,' portraying the teen vigilante as acting in self-defense. NPR reported Trump 'declined to condemn' while Politico noted he 'defends gunman charged with murdering 2.' Al Jazeera documented Trump suggesting Rittenhouse 'probably would have been killed' and The Guardian emphasized Trump 'fails to denounce an accused killer.' The defense of Rittenhouse came as Trump sought to portray civil rights protests as violent chaos requiring armed response, effectively endorsing vigilante violence against protesters.

"He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like. And he fell and then they very violently attacked him... He probably would have been killed." — White House press briefing, August 31, 2020