Prosecutor Thomas Binger attempted to argue Monday that the first alleged “victim” of Kyle Rittenhouse, convicted child molester Joseph Rosenbaum, was not a threat, mocking concerns that Rosenbaum threatened people by using the “N-word.”
Rittenhouse faces charges for the murder of Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, and the attempted murder of Gaige Grosskreutz, among other charges — though Judge Bruce Schroeder tossed the weapons charge on Monday morning.
Multiple witnesses had testified that Rosenbaum had threatened counter-demonstrators and others earlier that evening, and — ironically, given that the unrest in Kenosha was led by Black Lives Matter protesters — used the “N-word” against them.
Rosenbaum, who had previously been convicted of sexually abusing a minor, was unarmed, but charged Rittenhouse, who shot and killed him in what defense attorneys have argued was self-defense.
Binger argued that Rosenbaum had never been a threat at all. “He’s a mouthy little guy. He’s a little dog that barks.” He also tried to rehabilitate Rosenbaum’s image, which he suggested had been unfairly tarnished by the defense.
“That happens a lot in homicide trials,’ he said. “Blame the victim, who can’t speak for themselves.”
He went on to argue that Rosenbaum just happened to be at the riot. In a mocking voice, he revisited “all the awful things Joseph Rosenbaum did” that night, including tipping over a portable toilet, and lighting a dumpster on fire.
“Oh, and he said some bad words,” Binger said, tittering and shaking his finger. “He said the ‘N-word’!”
He then admitted that had Rosenbaum been alive, he would have been tried for arson, but he had been allegedly murdered.
Binger earlier argued that the crowd had the “right” to chase Rittenhouse, and that their actions were “entirely reasonable.”
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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