Paul Waldman observes that Republicans just love vigilantes, especially when they are baby-faced white boys with AR-15s
From the moment Rittenhouse killed [Joseph] Rosenbaum and [Anthony] Huber, he has been embraced by the right as a hero.
The Trump administration immediately distributed talking points to federal law enforcement officials to use if asked about Rittenhouse, in which they were instructed to say that he “took his rifle to the scene of the rioting to help defend small business owners.”
Conservatives quickly raised much of the $2 million for his bail….
On Fox News and other conservative media, one personality after another rushed to his defense….
Rittenhouse “should walk away a free and rich man after suing for malicious prosecution. That would be true justice in this case,” said Matt Walsh of the Daily Wire. “Kyle Rittenhouse went to Kenosha to clean up the filth left by the rioting Biden voters,” said Tucker Carlson….
So try to imagine what will happen if Rittenhouse is acquitted. Trump will issue a statement somehow taking credit for it. Fox News will fly Rittenhouse to New York for triumphant interviews. Social media will erupt with joy, as millions of conservatives cry “Suck it, libs!” He’ll appear on T-shirts and bumper stickers; maybe he’ll speak at the next Conservative Political Action Conference. And don’t be surprised if Trumpist candidates start seeking Rittenhouse’s endorsement and asking him to appear on the campaign trail with them.
There will be some Republicans who will respond to questions about Rittenhouse by saying the whole thing was an unfortunate episode and we should just put it behind us. But they will be drowned out.
Maybe I’ve missed it but I haven’t even heard that. Is there any evidence that any of them think what Rittenhouse did was even slightly misguided?
Maybe someone should ask the newest Great Whitebread Hope, Glenn Youngkin, what he thinks. After all, he is the new avatar of the Good Republican who surely understands that it is reckless and deadly for a 17 year old to illegally obtain a semi-automatic rifle and then wade into a street protest? Wouldn’t a nice fleece-vest wearing, (vastly wealthy) suburban dad like him admonish people not to do such a thing? I’m sure nobody will because there seems to be a huge media investment in portraying the GOP as reverting to normalcy based upon that one race in Virginia.
If Rittenhouse gets off, as appears likely, it will embolden Republican extremists all over the country. Of course it will.