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Biden walks back on Rittenhouse verdict remarks, trolls call U-turn 'impeachable offense'

President who initially said he 'stands by jury' later revealed he is 'angry and concerned', drawing trolls

President Joe Biden has once again become a target for trolls after an abrupt u-turn in his stance on the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict. From Donald Trump Jr. to ordinary internet users, a lot of people had plenty to say about the President and his weird double take. It comes hours after Kamala Harris briefly took over the Presidency, as Biden was undergoing a colonoscopy at the Walter Reed Medical Center.

The criticism comes at a difficult time for Biden, whose numerous gaffes have left his team red-faced. On top of that, there's the rumor of infighting between Biden and Harris, with the VP reportedly being left out of key meetings with the President. In a bid to silence the critics, the duo shared an awkward hug at the signing ceremony for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on November 25, but that did little to quell the critics.

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Biden already has a pretty tense relationship with the public over Rittenhouse. On the campaign trail, Biden shared a video calling the Kenosha shooter a "white supremacist", a claim that's led to threats of a lawsuit. So far, that's not come, but his u-turn led users to bring it up once again while finding plenty of other ways to troll him.

From 'the system works' to 'angry and concerned'

Shortly after he landed at the White House from the hospital, Biden was met by a pool of reporters eager to get his take on the verdict. He told them, "Look, I stand by what the jury has concluded. The jury system works and we have to abide by it." It was a quick, off-the-cuff response from Biden, who also admitted he hadn't watched the trial. Here's the full exchange as captured and shared by NBC's White House Correspondent Kelly O'Donnell-

But, just over an hour later, the President decided to weigh in again, and bafflingly, appeared to make a u-turn on his stance. The White House put out a brief statement from Biden, where he said, "While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken." He also urged for calm and peace and said he had spoken to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. 

While Biden didn't explicitly say what he felt in his interaction with reporters, the change in tone was noticeable, and clearly caught many off guard. It also gave conservatives the ideal fuel they needed, and they quickly began to slam and troll Biden.

'His answer will come back to haunt him'

"Biden, 2:29pm: “The process worked.” Biden, 72 minutes later: “I’m angry and concerned about the process.” Biden is not in charge of this administration," one user tweeted. Donald Trump Jr. mocked, "The Rittenhouse jury just gave Biden his second colonoscopy of the day." Author Don Winslow conceded, "I really wish that when President Biden was asked today about the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict he would have simply said "I am not going to comment on that" Instead his answer will come back to haunt him and us."

"Joe Biden’s statement today following the Rittenhouse verdict is an impeachable offense," joked Rep. Anthony Sabatini. One person tweeted, "Joe Biden issued a statement saying he was "angry and concerned" over the Rittenhouse NOT GUILTY jury verdict. Too bad he didn't get so angry & concerned w/the riots, looting and arson that took place during the 2020 "summer of rage." Maybe none of this would have happened." Another noted, "Biden statement on Rittenhouse verdict. No apology in there." One person commented, "When Joe Biden spoke to the media an hour ago, he openly admitted that he didn't watch the Rittenhouse trial. Just a few minutes ago, he released a statement saying he is “angry and concerned” with Rittenhouse verdict. So he's openly expressing an ignorant opinion. Dangerous."

There's a good chance that Rittenhouse will make good on his threat to sue Biden, given that Biden dubbed him a "white supremacist" before he took office. So far, the teenager has not commented on the possible lawsuit after his acquittal, but you can expect something in the coming days, given that the President is facing historically low support, and the GOP is eager to take advantage.