White House press secretary Jen Psaki learned of the Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty verdict during Friday’s briefing.
Rittenhouse was found not guilty on all charges Friday, ranging from first degree reckless homicide to first degree recklessly endangering safety.
At one point during the briefing, before the news broke, Psaki was asked by one reporter about the country waiting in anticipation for the verdict. “What is the president’s direct message to people who want to protest, express their opinions after the verdict, and might we hear from the president after there is a verdict?”
Psaki said she would not pre-judge the verdict and said, “We have been in touch with officials on the ground, through law enforcement channels, to ensure we are supporting any effort toward peaceful protest. That’s certainly what we will continue to encourage.”
Fifteen minutes later, another reporter jumped in to break the news to Psaki live. “What is the White House’s response?”
“Obviously this happened while I was out here, so let me talk to the president, talk to our team, and we will get you a statement as soon as we can,” Psaki answered.
When asked about the judge specifically, Psaki declined to answer and said the White House would comment later.
Earlier this week Psaki was questioned by Fox News’ Peter Doocy about a tweet from President Joe Biden during the 2020 campaign that included Rittenhouse in
You can watch Psaki’s initial comments and reaction to the verdict above, via the Washington Post.