Billionaire Bill Ackman took to Twitter on Thursday to defend Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse , calling the 18-year-old a 'civi...
Billionaire Bill Ackman took to Twitter on Thursday to defend Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, calling the 18-year-old a 'civic-minded patriot'.
Ackman said that after watching hours of testimony from Rittenhouse's murder trial, he and his wife, Neri Oxman, believe the teen is 'telling the truth and that he acted in self defense'.
'We found him to be a civic-minded patriot with a history of helping his community as an EMT and fireman in training, in his removing hate graffiti earlier that day from a local school, and ultimately in volunteering to protect a business during the night of August 25th in Kenosha,' Ackman wrote.
Billionaire Bill Ackman (pictured) has issued his support for Kenosha gunman Kyle Rittenhouse's self-defense claim
The Pershing Square Capital Management founder urged his followers to listen to the teen's testimony before forming opinions on whether or not Rittenhouse is guilty.
He argued politics are interfering with justice and that 'Rittenhouse's life is at risk'.
'With respect to my own political bias, I am not a gun owner, nor a member of the NRA. On balance, I support stronger gun regulations and removing loopholes in the sale of guns. Unfortunately it seems that society's view of Kyle's innocence depends more on one's views about gun control rather than on what actually took place last August.'
He continued: 'Kyle Rittenhouse's life is at risk. Justice demands a fair trial. Society would benefit greatly if politics did not enter the court room and convict innocent people.'
Ackman claims his comments have shocked the online community, noting that he received a call from a reporter who he said 'couldn't conceive of the idea that I could believe that Kyle is innocent because I am not a right winger'.
Ackman said that after watching hours of testimony from Kyle Rittenhouse's (pictured in Wisconsin court on Friday) murder trial, he and his wife believe the teen is 'telling the truth and that he acted in self defense'
Rittenhouse, of Antioch, Illinois, was 17 when he shot and killed two white Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, with an AR-15 last August.
The case has since divided America with some viewing Rittenhouse as a patriotic vigilante who was defending his town from an angry mob, as the teen alleges.
Others argued he embodies the systemic racism that sent thousands onto the streets to protest police brutality, especially because Rittenhouse, a young white man, was reportedly treated with a soft touch by law enforcement before eventually being arrested.
Although Ackman's support for Rittenhouse may have seemed out-of-character to his social media followers, the known Trump critic is no stranger to stirring up political controversy online.
After the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, Ackman called out then-President Donald Trump in a tweet, saying: 'It is time for you to resign and apologize to all Americans.'
In March 2020, he issued a stark warning to Trump, asking him to shut down the nation with an extended Spring Break holiday as cases of COVID-19 began to surge in the US.
He argued, at the time, that the shut down was the 'only answer' to spare the nation from catastrophe.
Ackman claims his comments supporting Rittenhouse shocked the online community, noting that he received a call from a reporter who he said 'couldn't conceive of the idea that I could believe that Kyle is innocent because I am not a right winger'
'Mr. President, the only answer is to shut down the country for the next 30 days and close the borders. Tell all Americans that you are putting us on an extended Spring Break at home with family. Keep only essential services open. The government pays wages until we reopen,' Ackman tweeted.
'No one defaults, no one forecloses. A 30-day rent, interest and tax holiday for all. The shutdown is inevitable as it is already happening, but not in a controlled fashion which is extending the economic pain and amplifying the spread of the virus.'
He continued: 'Please send everyone home now. With your leadership, we can end this now. The rest of the world will follow your lead. A global Spring Break will save us all.'
And, just last week, Ackman took to Twitter to criticize the banking industry over the alleged negative impacts of ESG incentives.
'Central bankers have not considered how inflationary ESG initiatives are. ESG is not transitory, but rather persistent and growing. Stakeholder capitalism will drive much needed increases in wages, but also higher energy costs, among other inflationary factors,' he wrote.
Although Ackman is known to talk about his political beliefs online, his support of Rittenhouse comes amid an already highly-political climate and echo a view shared by many Trump supporters.
Rittenhouse fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum (left), 36, with an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle after Rosenbaum chased Rittenhouse across a parking lot and threw a plastic bag at him shortly before midnight on August 25, 2020. Moments later, as Rittenhouse was running down a street, he shot and killed Anthony Huber (right), 26, a protester from Silver Lake, Wisconsin
'Media and political bias are dividing our country and destroying lives,' the billionaire tweeted.
'While we have not heard the entire trial, based on our assessment of Kyle on the stand, we believe that he will be found innocent by the jury.'
Rittenhouse is accused of fatally shooting Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, with an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle after Rosenbaum chased Rittenhouse across a parking lot and threw a plastic bag at him shortly before midnight on August 25, 2020.
Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha in August 2020 with his rifle in hand
Moments later, as Rittenhouse was running down a street, he shot and killed Anthony Huber, 26, a protester from Silver Lake, Wisconsin.
Rittenhouse has been charged with two counts of homicide, one count of attempted homicide, recklessly endangering safety, and illegal possession of a dangerous weapon by a minor.
The 18-year-old faces life in prison if convicted.
500 National Guard troops have been put on standby in Wisconsin in anticipation of a verdict in Rittenhouse's case.
Closing arguments begin on Monday, but the case has already been thrown into chaos and many experts expect it will either end in acquittal or mistrial.
The teen's lawyers asked for a mistrial with prejudice on Thursday,
If the judge grants the request, Rittenhouse cannot be retried on the same charges.
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