Trump slammed for 'stoking division' by endorsing Kenosha shooter, Piers Morgan calls it 'complete madness'
British broadcaster Piers Morgan slammed President Donald Trump of 'stoking division' by defending 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who is accused of killing two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin last week. Morgan's searing came while co-hosting 'Good Morning Britain' on Tuesday, September 1, a day after the POTUS made the following statement at a White House press briefing after being asked to comment on Rittenhouse: "That was an interesting situation. You saw the same tape as I saw. He (Rittenhouse) was trying to get away from them, I guess it looks like. And he fell. And then they (protesters) very violently attacked him. And it was something we are looking at right now, and it is under investigation." Trump continued, "I guess he (Rittenhouse) was in very big trouble. He probably would have been killed."
Speaking alongside co-host Susanna Reid, Piers reacted to footage of Trump speaking about visiting the Kenosha despite the mayor of the city, John Antaramian, telling him he was not welcome. In the clip, Trump said: "It will also increase enthusiasm, and it could increase love and respect for our country, and that's why I'm going, because they did a fantastic job. As soon as I called and told them, 'Let's go', the whole problem stopped."
Susanna remarked: "What is going on in the States? it's imploding'' after which Piers added, "I'll tell you what, America, this election is going to get very nasty, and it won't be resolved on election day." This was followed by Sussana saying, "The Mayor of Kenosha has asked President Trump, do not come, because it's going to makes things worse."
Piers could no longer hold back his anger as he unloaded his criticism of Trump. "He has just endorsed a vigilante kid who had an illegal gun, killing people on the street," he said, alluding to the press conference. "He just endorsed him from the Presidential podium, complete madness."
"And if this plays into his popularity, what would that say about the state of America?" asked Susanna, to which Piers said, "Well he is stoking division because he thinks it may somehow wrestle election victory out of the jaws of apparent defeat, and it might."
Meanwhile, Rittenhouse has been charged as an adult with two counts of first-degree homicide and one count of attempted homicide. The teen also faces charges of recklessly endangering the safety of two other victims and possessing a weapon while under the age of 18. Rittenhouse's attorney decried the charges. "This young boy was not only attacked on the streets of Kenosha, he's been attacked in the media and social media all over the damn world," L. Lin Wood told CBS News. "It's wrong. He's a 17-year-old boy. He was not there to create trouble, but he found himself with his life threatened and he had the right to protect himself with self-defense and now he finds himself accused of murder."
Another of his lawyers cast his client, who was pictured roaming the streets of Kenosha with an AR-15-style rifle, on the day of the shooting as "a hero who had no choice but to defend himself." John Pierce called the case against the 17-year-old "the most political prosecution in the history of this country" in an interview with USA TODAY.