Ben & Jerry's blasted for spreading misinformation about Kyle Rittenhouse, inventing hypothetical scenario to bring race into the case

Progressive ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's dished out misinformation about Kyle Rittenhouse, plus completely invented a hypothetical scenario regarding the controversial shooting to racialize the powderkeg court case. The Vermont-based woke ice cream purveyor was called out for spreading a false narrative online.

The Rittenhouse shooting has absolutely nothing to do with race since the shooter and all of those who were shot were white men. Without a racial angle to exploit, Ben & Jerry's dreamt up a completely hypothetical situation out of thin air that never actually happened to bring race into the picture.

"The #RittenhouseTrial displays yet again that our 'justice' system is racist," the ice cream brand wrote on Twitter. "How would this trial be going if he was a Black 17 yr old that crossed state lines illegally carrying an AR-15 and shot 3 white protesters?"

The Rittenhouse trial is still ongoing and no verdict has been handed down yet, but that didn't stop the Ben & Jerry's from tweeting, "We need real justice in the legal system. This isn't it."

Ben & Jerry's – which is owned by multinational conglomerate Unilever that boasted revenue of approximately $58 billion in 2020 – promoted a fallacy about Rittenhouse that has been debunked for more than a year. The Lake County State's Attorney's Office released a statement on Oct. 13, 2020, clarifying that Rittenhouse never had possession of the firearm used during the Kenosha riots while he was in Illinois.

An extensive investigation was conducted by the Antioch Police Department regarding the gun used in a shooting in Kenosha on Aug. 28. The Lake County State's Attorney's Office has reviewed that investigation to determine if any crimes were committed in Lake County, Illinois.To that end, the investigation revealed the gun used in the Kenosha shooting was purchased, stored and used in Wisconsin. Additionally, there is no evidence the gun was ever physically possessed by Kyle Rittenhouse in Illinois.

Fact-checker Lead Stories published an article this week titled: "Kyle Rittenhouse Did NOT Cross State Lines With An AR-15."

The gun he used in the shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was "purchased, stored and used in Wisconsin," the Lake County Illinois State's Attorney's Office said in a statement. A friend testified during Rittenhouse's 2021 trial that he purchased the gun used in the shooting in Wisconsin, The New York Times reported. Court records obtained by The Washington Post showed that the rifle used in the shooting in Wisconsin went from Wisconsin to Illinois and then back but it was in the trunk of a car driven by Rittenhouse's friend and was not in Rittenhouse's possession while he was in Illinois.

Also, Rittenhouse's weapon was a Smith & Wesson M&P 15 rifle, not an AR-15 as the Ben & Jerry's post stated.

There was a swift reaction and backlash to the ice cream company incorrectly weighing in on the Rittenhouse case and sowing seeds of racial division.

Political commentator Stephen L. Miller: "The whole narrative blew up in their faces so they've now created a fictional teenager and story to fit the old one."

Writer Amelia Hamilton: "This is a false premise since Rittenhouse didn't do that either."

Radio host Derek Hunter: "The proper analogy would be if Rittenhouse were black and so were the people he shot, since they're all white now. And the reality is you wouldn't give a damn. That would be an average day that ends in 'Y' in Chicago and you haven't said anything about it for years."

Liberal journalist Zaid Jilani: "The framework here is a bit outdated. If a black guy shot three white rioters/antifa in today's political climate, the Republican Party would probably try to draft them to run for some kind of elected office."

Podcast host Allie Beth Stuckey: "These people do not live in reality. Their brains are total and complete mush. Absolutely insane."

Former officer in U.S. Army Special Forces Jim Hanson: "It's sadly comical to watch the left spastically fling the race card."

Actor Nick Searcy: "All @benandjerrys can see is race. Their communist ice cream is now also racist ice cream."

Former writer for "The Daily Show" David Angelo: "These two morons must have terminal brain freeze. Rittenhouse didn't cross state lines with a rifle, he didn't posses it illegally, and he shot 3 white felons who were attacking him as he fled (it's on video....). Libs are just another strand of flat-earthers. It's hopeless."

Musician Phil Labonte: "Rittenhouse is a white male and he shot three other white males. This trial has absolutely nothing to do with race."

Human Events senior editor Jack Posobiec: "Ben & Jerry's once again spreading the false narrative that the people who attacked Kyle Rittenhouse were black."

A.G. Hamilton: "Again, this case has nothing to do with race. These people have broken brains and have normalized an idiotic and bigoted view of the world. And now major brands promote this garbage."

Former Republican candidate Rob Maness: "Rich corporation's defaming #KyleRittenhouse are going to have a tough time in court."

Former Democratic candidate Heidi Briones: "Aren't you ice cream?"

Ben & Jerry's isn't the only one attempting to make the Rittenhouse shooting into a racial tinderbox. Democratic politicians, mainstream media personalities, pundits, and online firebrands have racialized the case. Some have even labeled Kyle Rittenhouse a white supremacist despite there being no evidence of such.