Republican senator Anthony Sabatini received backlash from lawmakers and citizens on all parts of the political spectrum after he suggested Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old from Antioch, Illinois who fatally shot two Black Lives Matter protestors in Kenosha, Wisconsin in August, should be elected to Congress.
KYLE RITTENHOUSE FOR CONGRESS
— Rep. Anthony Sabatini (@AnthonySabatini) November 21, 2020
The Florida legislator, who sits in the state’s House of Representatives, tweeted “KYLE RITTENHOUSE FOR CONGRESS” a day after the teenager was granted bail despite being charged with the murder of 26 year-old Anthony Huber and 36 year-old Joseph Rosebnbaum at a Black Lives Matter protest in August. Rittenhouse was also charged with paralyzing 26-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz. He was released on Friday soon after posting a $2 million bond and will return to court in December for a preliminary hearing.
Rittenhouse has become somewhat of a figurehead to many on the far right of the Republican Party for opposing demonstrations against police brutality during a summer of protests. President Trump and other conservatives have defended Rittenhouse since he was accused of bringing an AR-15 rifle to a protest in Kenosha, allegedly to defend property from people who had gathered in response to the deadly shooting of Jacob Blake.
According to a report by Insider, he currently faces first degree intentional homicide, first degree reckless homicide and first degree reckless endangerment. MyPillow CEO and avid Trump supporter Mike Lindell, alongside actor Ricky Schroder, donated money to Rittenhouse that helped him reach his $2 million bond.
On Friday, his attorney Lin Wood tweeted, “Special thanks to Actor Rictor Schroder @rickeyshroder1 & Mike Lindell @realMikelindell for putting us over the top”.
KYLE RITTENHOUSE IS OUT OF JAIL.
God bless ALL who donated to help #FightBack raise required $2M cash bail.
Special thanks to Actor Ricky Schroder @rickyshroder1 & Mike Lindell @realMikeLindell for putting us over the top.
Kyle is SAFE.
Thanks to ALL who helped this boy.
— Lin Wood (@LLinWood) November 20, 2020
Sabatini, who has threatened protestors with gun violence was met with condemnation by Democrats and Florida voters. Anti-gun activist Kristen Clarke, who fronts civil rights organization Lawyers’ Committee, said Sabatini’s tweet was “a reminder about the hard work that lies ahead to confront the way in which violence has been promoted and embraced by elected officials.”
The New York Post reported that Progressive Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to the Illinois teenager’s release on social media. She called the news a “protection of white supremacy” and “law and disorder.” She directly addressed doubters of white supremacy in America stating “For people who say systemic racism doesn’t exist, this is what it looks like: protection of white supremacy baked deep into our carceral systems,” she tweeted.
People who argue that dramatic changes to policing, including budgetary ones, will mean “violent people will be let out of jail to roam free” rarely ever acknowledge that’s actually the current system we have today for the privileged https://t.co/MXnm6h3PdZ
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 21, 2020
According to the New York Post, Missouri representative-elect Cori Bush also commented on Rittenhouse’s release, arguing that it was an example of an unfair and flawed criminal justice system.
80% of Texas county jail inmates who have died from COVID-19 were in pre-trial detention and had not been convicted of any crimes.
If Kyle Rittenhouse can be released, is pre-trial detention really an issue of public safety?
We need to decarcerate to save lives. https://t.co/CxjJaItAa6
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) November 21, 2020
