The Media Lynching of Kyle Rittenhouse: Attacked in Kenosha, the teenager fired in self-defense

You might think that people who get paid to write for prestige publications would be better journalists than mere bloggers, but then you encounter people like David Graham, who not only writes for the Atlantic, but actually teaches journalism at Duke University. In a remarkably counterfactual column Tuesday, Graham claimed that the riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin, “could cost Trump the election.”

While his primary object was to amplify Democratic talking points — accusing President Trump of “making every effort to stir up racial tension and provoke violence after the shooting of Jacob Blake” — Graham also casually smeared 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse. Graham expressed astonishment that Trump would defend the teenager who shot three rioters after being attacked last week. At a Monday press briefing, Trump “not only didn’t condemn Rittenhouse’s actions, but defended him,” Graham huffed, before misquoting the president. Here is what Trump actually said Monday when asked about Rittenhouse: