Trump Says He Welcomed Kyle Rittenhouse to Mar-a-Lago Following Acquittal

Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot three people, two of them fatally, during violent protests in Kenosha last year, was ruled by a jury to be not guilty on all charges that he faced. Several days after the verdict, American society continues to be divided over the decision.

Former US President Donald Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity on Tuesday that he met with Kyle Rittenhouse and his mother, after welcoming the two to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

“Kyle, I got to know him a little bit. He called. He wanted to know if he could come over and say hello because he was a fan, unlike the other guy,” the ex-president said.

Trump told Hannity that Rittenhouse and his mother left Mar-a-Lago "a little while ago". He did not provide any other details about their meeting.

Instead, the former president offered some comments about Rittenhouse's trial.

“He should never have been put through that,” Trump said of the legal process. “That was prosecutorial misconduct.”

Rittenhouse was accused of both reckless and intentional homicide along with unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon as he shot three people in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year during the violent anti-racism protests. The teenager, who was 17 at the time, claimed he acted in self-defence. The jury decided to side with Rittenhouse, ruling he was not guilty on all counts, with the verdict severely dividing the American society.

During his first public appearance after acquittal, Rittenhouse insisted that the case had nothing to do with race, as he was accused of having racism motives behind his actions, and even voiced support for Black Lives Matter. The movement's response, however, turned out to be cold.