After Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder read through nearly 40 pages of jury instructions on Monday, Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger began the prosecution's closing argument in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse.
Stretching on for more than two hours, Binger's closing argument meandered through a selectively chosen set of facts that defied logic, ignored reality, and seemed at times unbelievable.
1. At one point in his argument, Binger sounded like a CNN reporter when he characterized the violent rioters that were laying siege to Kenosha as a "crowd full of heroes." As Townhall's Julio Rosas covered in August 2020, the BLM and Antifa rioters who razed Kenosha were anything but heroes.
That "crowd full of heroes" was the same crowd I saw just moments before attacking the very courthouse this trial is taking place at, along with attacking the police and National Guardsmen. https://t.co/iqPpc8L1Df
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) November 15, 2021
Compare Binger's description with the reality of what Julio captured on video and reported — including the burning of an American flag, shouts of "death to America," and attempts to breach a fence around the courthouse in which the trial is now taking place:
Rioters are trying to tear down the fence outside the Kenosha County Courthouse. pic.twitter.com/GsRRcgMbx9
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) August 26, 2020
2. Then there was the moment Binger pointed a rifle at people in the crowded courtroom with his finger fully on the trigger. I mean... you don't have to be a firearm expert to know you don't pick one up and aim it at a crowd with your finger on the trigger.
Yeah, just go ahead and dry fire in the courtroom, hoss. this is fine.
— tsar becket adams (@BecketAdams) November 15, 2021
3. Binger also tried to make the argument that as an individual, "you lose the right to self-defense when you're the one who brought the gun," attempting again to invalidate Rittenhouse's self-defense claim but apparently forgetting Rittenhouse wasn't the only one with a gun in Kenosha that night.
PROSECUTION: "You can't claim self-defense against an unarmed man like this. You LOSE the right to self-defense when you're the one who brought the gun." pic.twitter.com/1ZNFtWTAqA
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 15, 2021
As many pointed out, one of the individuals shot by Rittenhouse — Gaige Grosskreutz — brought a gun himself, and pointed it at Kyle Rittenhouse, something Grosskreutz said himself on the witness stand.
Yes. A pistol. And admitted in court he wasn’t shot by Rittenhouse until he pointed his pistol directly at Rittenhouse. Aka, Rittenhouse shot him in self defense. https://t.co/k4390Ivxai
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) November 15, 2021
4. At one point, Binger used this picture in court to illustrate... what a fistfight looks like? Then he said "you people have probably been in bar fights!” to the jury.
PROSECUTION: "This is a bar fight. This is a fistfight...What you don't do is you don't bring a gun to a fistfight." pic.twitter.com/TQ22DpkhL2
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 15, 2021
As Katie rightfully points out, data from the FBI shows that fists are used to kill more people each year than rifles. Those chasing and threatening Rittenhouse had not only fists but firearms, chains, skateboards, and more.
This is absolute garbage. Also, men in a fist fight can’t kill anyone? FBI statistics show more people are killed every year with fists than by people using rifles. https://t.co/LBqWfvWNiA
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) November 15, 2021
5. In a list of actions he thinks Rittenhouse should have taken on the night at issue, Binger insisted that Rittenhouse should have fired off warning shots as he... ran away? He should have left his gun behind to be picked up and used by violent rioters? Or surrendered himself to the crowd chasing him through town?
The prosecution suggests that Kyle Rittenhouse should have:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 15, 2021
- Stayed with Joseph Rosenbaum, whom Kyle had just shot
- Called 911
- Told the crowd what he had just done
- Fired warning shots
- Dropped his rifle
- Surrendered himself to the crowd pic.twitter.com/bJSjsdnM4N
Among other bad ideas, Dana Loesch pointed out firing warning shots is not legally sound, nor is it a safe practice.
Which is illegal, but Thomas Binger is a clown. https://t.co/K9OoZkpgFt
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) November 15, 2021
In fact, another man who fired warning shots amid the riots in Kenosha faced charges for such action.
6. Then there was the way Binger mocked Kyle Rittenhouse in a condescending evaluation of the defendant's "performance as a medic that night."
The prosecution is now openly mocking Kyle Rittenhouse. pic.twitter.com/N0koz220re
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 15, 2021
7. And last but not least, Binger's attempted character rehabilitation for Rosenbaum that he offered with a sarcastic tone to make light of Rosenbaum's actions the night of the riots that included arson, swinging a metal chain, and throwing the n-word around.
ICYMI: Binger sarcastically details criticisms of Joseph Rosenbaum, including but not limited to saying the n-word and committing arson. pic.twitter.com/hH7j1bSS8G
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 15, 2021
As Fox News contributor Andrew McCarthy pointed out, the likely reason for the prosecutor's confounding closing argument is likely because he's failed to adequately prove the defendant is guilty of the crimes charged.
ADA Binger's summation may confuse you, but Rittenhouse is not charged with having honor, lying about medic training, being in a place he didn't belong, being out after curfew, or (anymore) possessing a rifle. Prosecutors do that when they have trouble proving the actual charges.
— Andy McCarthy (@AndrewCMcCarthy) November 15, 2021
Join the conversation as a VIP Member