What's up with the judge in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial?

Rittenhouse's testimony began with a bizarre crying scene — and things only got stranger from there.

Rittenhouse breaks down during his testimony on Tuesday. (Mark Hertzberg-Pool/Getty Images)

Part of what I want to do here at Public Notice is unpack viral Twitter threads I put together as I watch newsworthy events (so you don’t have to), adding additional reporting and context that I wasn’t able to provide in real time. And I think Kyle Rittenhouse’s testimony during his murder trial warrants that treatment.

Rittenhouse is on trial for a variety of charges connected to him shooting three protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 25, 2020 — killing two and injuring one — during protests that erupted following the police shooting of a Black man named Jacob Blake. The shooting left Blake paralyzed. The contentious proceedings on Wednesday, including the seemingly biased and at times bizarre behavior of the judge, indicated that the deck is stacked against those trying to hold Rittenhouse accountable for the violence.

While I haven’t followed every detail the trial, I knew I had to watch all of Rittenhouse’s testimony on Wednesday when he began with an emotional breakdown that seemed artificial and was widely compared to a similar scene during Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar

Kyle Rittenhouse cries while testifying

And things only got stranger from there.