Following the Friday verdict of the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, President Biden said he stands by the jury’s decision.
Rittenhouse was found not guilty on all five charges against him. Biden, who reportedly did not watch the trial, was questioned about the decision at the White House.
“Well look, I stand by what the jury has concluded. The jury system works and we have to abide by it,” he said.
During the presidential campaign, Biden had tweeted a video on white supremacists that included Rittenhouse. When asked about the comment Friday, Biden declined to answer.
The president also released a statement Friday afternoon saying he, and many Americans feel “angry and concerned” about the verdict.
Biden asked that people “express their views peacefully, consistent with the rule of law”.
“I know that we’re not going to heal our country’s wounds overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, with fairness and dignity, under the law,” he added.
Many are calling on Biden to apologize for and address the comments made about Rittenhouse last year. Senator Tom Cotton tweeted “Joe Biden needs to publicly apologize to Kyle Rittenhouse”.
Gop chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted “Biden needs to apologize and ACT NOW before the left uses his lies to fuel violence”.
Biden had responded to questions from journalists as he returned to the White House after a physical and colonoscopy at Walter Reed Hospital. While he was under anesthesia, his power was temporarily transferred to Vice President Harris.