The Longest Day of the Longest Week of the Biden Presidency
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on his Build Back Better Plan in Scranton, Pennsylvania on October 20th (Andrew McKeough/AKSM Photography).
While the country’s attention was on the Rittenhouse case, history was made in Washington, DC. Vice President Kamala Harris temporarily held the powers and duties of President of the United States, becoming the first woman to do so.
Article by Garrett Whitton, Junior White House Correspondent
WASHINGTON - The city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, is bracing for a night of unrest after 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted on all charges in the August 2020 shootings of three men, two of whom were killed.
After Jacob Blake, an African-American man, was shot and paralyzed by Kenosha Police late last August, riots began. Rittenhouse, a resident of Illinois, felt it was his duty to protect small businesses in a town foreign to him. Being a lifeguard back home, he also thought he could provide medical aid to anyone who needed it. Unfortunately for Rittenhouse, a night where he thought he would be a hero to many turned into a nightmare that would change his life.
Later that night, he was taken into police custody and charged with two counts of murder, two counts of reckless endangerment, and one count of unlawful firearm possession. However, over a year later and after weeks of trial on Friday, November 19, Rittenhouse’s fate was saved by the jury’s verdict that was in his favor, saying he acted in self-defense. But, if the jury thought differently, he faced life in prison — a punishment no one wants, let alone a teenager.
This process was the most viewed criminal trial since the O.J. Simpson murder case. Throughout it, the media was criticized for being too involved, whether they thought Rittenhouse was innocent or not. Showing the severity of the case, Judge Bruce Shroeder dismissed MSNBC from the courtroom after one of their reporters had allegedly followed the jury bus away from the courthouse after a day of trial.
No matter the case’s outcome, Kenosha Police are preparing for a night of unrest and protest. The national guard has also been deployed in some areas for extra precaution.
The trial also became a trending topic on Twitter as different celebrities like Lebron James began commenting.
“What tears????? I didn’t see one,” James tweeted. “Man, knock it off! That boy ate some lemon heads before walking into court.”
Journalists, judiciary personnel, and other professionals thought celebrity insight was inappropriate and made the situation worse. The President, who referred to Rittenhouse as a white supremacist when the incident happened, weighed in on the case once the verdict was released.
“I stand by what the jury has concluded,” Biden told a reporter. “The jury system works, and we have to abide by it.”
The President did not have too much to say about the result, but he had a lot on his platter in his defense, like two turkeys.
On Friday, President Biden held the annual Turkey Pardoning Ceremony in the Rose Garden. Every year the president spares one or two turkeys’ lives by taking them out of the year’s rotation. So instead of being a family meal, the appropriately named Peanut Butter and Jelly will be waddling around in a field this Thanksgiving without a care in the world. During the ceremony, the press snapped pictures and took quotes from Biden’s many jokes. He was indeed witty, which came as a surprise to many, considering he had been under anesthesia a few hours before.
While the country’s attention was on the Rittenhouse case, history was made in Washington, DC. Vice President Kamala Harris temporarily held the powers and duties of President of the United States, becoming the first woman to do so. Once Biden signed a letter to Senator Patrick Leahy, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Vice President became the first woman president of the United States. President Biden aired on the side of caution while he went to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to receive a routine physical and colonoscopy before his 79th birthday tomorrow.
At 10:10 AM ET, President Biden thought it was right to enact the 25th Amendment, which gives presidential power to the vice president or whoever is next in command. The amendment has only been used six times, with the last use being in the mid-2000s when George W. Bush left for a similar reason. During the 85 minutes she was acting president, Harris worked from her office in the west wing of the White House.
“Today was certainly another chapter in that history I think that will be noted for women, young girls across the country,” Harris said.
The President resumed his powers once he was conscious again at 11:35 AM ET. His doctor says he is healthy and able to lead the country. Democrats are thankful for the news as they continue to push the Build Back Better (BBB) Bill through congress.
Ever since the Infrastructure Bill was passed and signed into law last week, Democrats on the hill have made it their priority to get the rest of the BBB Bill passed. As of Friday morning, the bill was successfully passed through the House of Representatives with a 220-213 victory. However, the republicans, who think the $1.75 trillion package is unfair and fear it will add to the national debt, did not go down without a fight. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy spoke for eight and a half hours, successfully delaying the vote. However, it was eventually passed.
The bill includes funding for COVID-19 relief, social services, and welfare while allocating other funds for reducing the effects of climate change. Madam Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced the bill had passed Friday morning and celebrated with her fellow Democrats in the House chamber. The bill is on its way to the Senate, where it will be debated and voted on before making its way to Biden’s desk.