White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki claimed during Monday’s press conference that she couldn’t speak to the ongoing court case involving Kyle Rittenhouse but then immediately followed that statement by saying that President Joe Biden opposes “vigilantes patrolling our communities with assault weapons.”
“We shouldn’t have opportunists corrupting peaceful protests by rioting and burning down the communities they claim to represent anywhere in the country,” she said. “As you know, closing arguments in this particular case — which I’m not speaking to; I’m just making broad comments about his own view — there’s an ongoing trial. We’re awaiting a verdict. Beyond that, I’m not going to speak to any individuals or this case.”
Psaki refused to address allegations from Rittenhouse’s mother that Biden defamed her son as a white supremacist to help secure votes during the election.
WATCH:
Joe Biden called Kyle Rittenhouse a white supremacist.
Now, Jen Psaki won't answer @pdoocy's question on this matter because it is an "ongoing trial." pic.twitter.com/Qj3cVY8g2t
— MRCTV (@mrctv) November 15, 2021
TRANSCRIPT PROVIDED VIA THE WHITE HOUSE:
REPORTER #1: And then just something tied to an ongoing court case. Why did President Biden suggest that Kyle Rittenhouse, on trial in Kenosha, is a white supremacist?
PSAKI: So, Peter, what I — I’m not going to speak to right now is anything about an ongoing trial nor the President’s past comments.
What I can reiterate for you is the President’s view that we shouldn’t have, broadly speaking, vigilantes patrolling our communities with assault weapons. We shouldn’t have opportunists corrupting peaceful protests by rioting and burning down the communities they claim to represent anywhere in the country.
As you know, closing arguments in this particular case — which I’m not speaking to; I’m just making broad comments about his own view — there’s an ongoing trial. We’re awaiting a verdict. Beyond that, I’m not going to speak to any individuals or this case.
REPORTER #1: But the President has spoken to it already. And his mom now — Kyle Rittenhouse’s mom came out saying that the President defamed her son and that claims — she claims that when the President suggested her son is a white supremacist, he was doing that to win votes. Is that what happened?
PSAKI: I just have nothing more to speak to an ongoing case where the closing arguments were just made.
Go ahead.
REPORTER #2: Given the National Guard is on standby though in Wisconsin right now, Jen, does the White House or the President have any message to those who may stir up trouble, regardless of the outcome at the end of the Kyle Rittenhouse trial?
PSAKI: Well, I can give you a little bit of an update that we’re in contact — the White House is in contact with state officials at the request of community leaders. The Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service has provided trainings and deescalation and contingency planning to local community organizations, and they’re prepared to provide any further assistance that is needed.
But, you know, our message, I would say, is that, you know, President Biden ran on a promise to bring Americans together and to turn down the temperature on the angry, divisive rhetoric and actions we saw over the past four years. That’s his overarching objective.
It doesn’t mean that he doesn’t understand — of course he does — when emotions are high, when passions are high. We’re here to provide support. And obviously, we’re going to wait for any verdict to come out. And beyond that, certainly we, you know, are hopeful that any protests will be peaceful.