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Maria Shriver says can't believe Rittenhouse verdict, trolls ask what about Ted Kennedy

'How is that possible?' asks journalist, gets brutally trolled in response as some poke fun at her family, others slam Wisconsin law

The Kyle Rittenhouise verdict has divided America like few court cases, with many extremely unhappy that he was acquitted. A large list of celebrities have also decided to weigh in but frequently found themselves being mocked for their stance. 

Joy Reid went viral for saying "This country was built on the idea that White men had a particular kind of freedom." Colin Kaepernick dubbed the teenager a "terrorist", and Khloe Kardashian said she was "speechless and disgusted." All three, along with others like President Joe Biden have been widely trolled, with Rep. Anthony Sabatini calling Biden's u-turn an "impeachable offense." Well, now it is Maria Shriver's turn. The journalist is the latest victim of trolls, after tweeting about the verdict. Like many others, Shriver seemed to question the acquittal, which didn't go down well with supporters of Rittenhouse. 

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'I don't have an answer'

On November 19, shortly after the verdict was announced, Shriver tweeted, "I’m trying to take a beat to digest the Rittenhouse verdict. My son just asked me how it’s possible that he didn’t get charged for anything. How is that possible? I don’t have an answer for him."

For those unaware, Shriver is a niece of John F Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, and Robert F Kennedy. Her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, was a sister of the late President. Apart from coming from such a prominent family, Shriver was also married to actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, with whom she has four children. In 2011, the couple separated after 25 years of marriage. 

Angry users were quick to mock Shriver's links to the Kennedy family, in response to her take on Rittenhouse. 

'How about growing up and telling the truth?'

"Your son asked you about Ted Kennedy?" one user asked. A congressional candidate said, "Reminds me of how I felt when Teddy Kennedy killed a woman." One person joked, "You clearly didn’t watch the trial. You work in media?"

"My mom asked me, why is Maria Shriver opining on Kyle Rittenhouse not being charged when her uncle drove a woman off a bridge into water, left the scene, let her drown, and not only was never charged but remained a Senator. I honestly had no answer for her," one person mocked. Referencing that incident, another person tweeted, "With all due respect, you need to sit this one out. At least, until you start examining the case of Mary Jo Kopechne & questioning the lack of charges in THAT case, too. J/S."

Others simply chose to point out the obvious, with one person responding, "How about growing up and telling him the truth. He was defending himself from criminals. If you want to be a victim, be my guest." Another replied, "Because he didn’t break the law. Tell your son it’s OK to use deadly force if you feel your life is in danger. It’s called SELF DEFENSE. He’ll thank you for it later." Another mocked, "If you don't think a person who was just acquitted by a jury trial wasn't "charged" you really need to go back through grade-school civics. After you learn the basics, we'll talk about the other legal principles involved."

As some users pointed out, Rittenhouse was charged, with the jury considering five charges against the teenager. He was found not guilty on all five, with the jury agreeing with his narrative that it was in self-defense. The teen is set to appear on Tucker Carlson's show on November 21, to speak publicly about the case.