Actor Josh Gad claimed Friday that the full acquittal of teenager Kyle Rittenhouse is a go-ahead for “vigilantes” to “just go and kill” protesters.
After receiving pushback, the actor claimed that his critics were “racists,” “incels,” and “anarchists.”
“It has now been put it out there that vigilantes can just go and kill people protesting issues like racial equality whenever they want and get away with it,” Gad tweeted out to his nearly 650,000 followers. “Think about that for a second.”
It has now been put it out there that vigilantes can just go and kill people protesting issues like racial equality whenever they want and get away with it. Think about that for a second.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) November 19, 2021
“An 18 year old who gunned down 2 men in cold blood & got away with it is being hailed as a hero today by many,” Gad continued posting. “You can choose to stand with them, or you can choose to fight back against this frightening s*** & vote against those who would cheer this f***er & offer him internships.”
An 18 year old who gunned down 2 men in cold blood & got away with it is being hailed as a hero today by many. You can choose to stand with them, or you can choose to fight back against this frightening shit & vote against those who would cheer this fucker & offer him internships
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) November 19, 2021
Seemingly reacting to people challenging his tweets, Gad wrote, “It’s like an Independence Day for racists, incels and anarchists on my timeline today.”
“Incel” is short for “involuntarily celibate.”
It’s like an Independence Day for racists, incels and anarchists on my timeline today. pic.twitter.com/8ywXckFbpa
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) November 19, 2021
Rittenhouse was charged with fatally shooting two men and injuring a third while defending himself during a riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin, sparked by the police shooting of armed Jacob Blake.
Rittenhouse, who pleaded not guilty and said he was merely using necessary force to defend his own life, was facing life in prison with no chance at parole.
He was found not guilty on all charges Friday.
WATCH: This is Kyle Rittenhouse reaction as all 5 not guilty verdicts were read. #KyleRittenhouse #Rittenhousetrial #Rittenhouseverdict pic.twitter.com/bngqpACL7X
— Kristen Barbaresi (@KristenBarbar) November 19, 2021
As highlighted by The Daily Wire, David Hancock, a spokesman for Rittenhouse, said Friday that the Rittenhouse family is “relieved” over the not guilty verdict on all counts, but he added that there are “no winners” and “nobody is spiking a football.”
Hancock emphasized that Rittenhouse has been “defamed” over the past year, and noted the two people who were fatally shot when Rittenhouse was defending himself on August 25, 2020, in Kenosha:
The Rittenhouse family felt “relief” when the verdict was called, Hancock told the press outside the courthouse Friday. “It’s been a long road, and we believe that this was the right verdict, and we believe that the length of time (the jury was deliberating) was the jury being very careful and reading the instructions and looking over the evidence,” he said.
“There’s no spiking a football,” Hancock continued, “two people did lose their lives. There [were] a lot of things that infected this case, like politics, that sent it off the rails really early on. And so, there are no winners.”
“Kyle, now, gets to live his life as a free young man, an innocent young man, which he is,” the spokesman said. “But at the end of the day, I think there are no winners.”
Related: Defense Attorney Reveals Kyle Rittenhouse’s Next Moves, Career Goal