After Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty Friday, North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn offered the 18-year-old an internship and told his own supporters on Instagram to "be armed, be dangerous and be moral."
Cawthorn's Instagram video was posted shortly after Rittenhouse, who fatally shot two people last year during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was acquitted of all charges.
The criminal trial has divided the nation over questions about gun rights, violence at racial justice protests and vigilantism.
Cawthorn focused on the gun rights aspect in his short video.
“Kyle Rittenhouse is not guilty, my friends," he said. "You have a right to defend yourselves. Be armed, be dangerous and be moral."
In a text box embedded in the video, Cawthorn wrote, "Kyle, if you want an internship, reach out to me."
Cawthorn announced last week that he will run for reelection in the U.S. House of Representatives in the newly drawn 13th Congressional District rather than his current 14th District. The 13th District includes part of western and northern Mecklenburg County.
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