Buttigieg reacts to Rittenhouse’s not guilty verdict: “There’s just something to be upset about” | Local News

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Sunday there was “much to be upset about” following the not guilty verdict in Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial.

Buttigieg was invited by NBC News anchor Chuck Todd to comment on the case, which ended Friday after a jury acquitted Rittenhouse in the shooting deaths of two men in a riot l last year in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE IS FOUND NOT GUILTY ON ALL POINTS IN KENOSHA’S TRIAL

“Look, there is a lot of pain in this country, and that pain and frustration was brought on by the whole case, including the verdict,” Buttigieg said. “And for a lot of us there is just something to be upset about, a lot of reason to worry, but we will move forward as a country.

“The president continues to believe and this administration continues to believe in America and we must continue to work to bring Americans together,” he said.

Buttigieg’s comments on the trial were similar to those of President Biden, who said in a statement Friday that the verdict “will leave many Americans angry and concerned, including me.”

Kyle Rittenhouse reacts as he is found not guilty on all counts at the Kenosha County Courthouse on November 19, 2021 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Sean Krajacic – Pool / Getty Images)

The president said the jury’s decision should be respected despite his personal feelings on the matter.

“I ran on the promise to bring Americans together because I think what unites us is so much greater than what divides us,” Biden said. “I know we are not going to heal the wounds of our country overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, fairly, and dignity, under the law. “

President Joe Biden at the White House on October 4, 2021 in Washington.
(AP Photo / Evan Vucci)

Vice President Harris and other Congressional Democrats also spoke. Harris said the verdict “speaks for itself” and that “it is clear that there is still a lot of work to be done.”

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“The judge. The jury. The accused. This is white supremacy in action. This system is not designed to hold white supremacists accountable,” Representative Cori Bush, D-Mo., tweeted. “This is why blacks and browns are brutalized and caged while white supremacist murderers roam free. I’m hurt. I’m angry. My heart is broken.”

Representative Jerry Nadler, DN.Y., took to twitter and said a “heartbreaking verdict is a miscarriage of justice” and “sets a dangerous precedent that warrants federal review by the Department of Justice.”