Things are not looking good for the prosecution in the case of vigilante shooter Kyle Rittenhouse. The teen, accused of murdering two and trying to kill a third during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year, took the stand Wednesday to defend himself. 

According to the Daily Beast, the 18-year-old was on the offensive immediately, accusing Joseph Rosenbaum, the 36-year-old that Rittenhouse fatally shot, of everything from setting a port-a-potty on fire to threatening him to tipping over a trailer. 

And then, the darling of the white supremacists began to sob uncontrollably as he described himself as the victim, causing his mother to weep. And by the time the judge ordered a break, the jury appeared to look on in sympathy. 

Rittenhouse was 17 when he drove himself from his home in Antioch, Illinois, to Kenosha on Aug. 25, 2020. In his mind, he went to patrol the city and protect businesses during protests that followed the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot seven times by a white police officer, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

Videos from the night of the shooting show that several protesters attempted to disarm Rittenhouse, who fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, then Anthony Huber, 26, and seconds later shot Gaige Grosskreutz, 27, who was wounded but survived.

Today on the stand, Rittenhouse alleged that Rosenbaum threatened him with a chain, yelling, “If I catch any of you fuckers alone, I’m going to kill you.” He added that Rosenbaum then screamed, “’I’m going to cut your fucking hearts out,’ and I’m not going to repeat the second word but ‘kill you n-words.’”

When prosecutors attempted to cross-examine Rittenhouse, presiding Judge Bruce E. Schroeder cut them down, suggesting the line of questioning was in conflict with his right to remain silent and his right to be present for court proceedings. At one point, it appeared prosecutors were preparing to question Rittenhouse about comments he allegedly made about wanting to shoot people; those comments were made prior to the night of the shootings.

“Don’t get brazen with me! You know very well that an attorney can’t go into these types of areas when the judge has already ruled, without asking outside the presence of the jury to do so. So don’t give me that!” Schroeder yelled at Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger during a brief sidebar without the jury present, Daily Beast reports. 

It’s difficult not to examine this trial without mentioning the often odd behavior of Schroeder. He has proven himself to be overly invested in everything from what’s being said about him on CNN, to using the bible to prove his point, to refusing to allow the prosecution to call the three men Rittenhouse shot “victims.” Or the latest, while hearing the defense team argue that the prosecution is planning for a mistrial, Schroeder allows his phone to ring. 

Schroeder prefers “decedents” or “complaining witnesses” to “victims,” according to The Washington Post.

“Whether the person is a victim is the very thing the prosecution has to prove,” Michael Cicchini, a criminal defense lawyer in Kenosha tells the Post. That the two dead people are, in fact, dead is not up for debate outside of this judge’s courtroom, however. 

According to The New Yorker, Rittenhouse traveled to Kenosha after seeing a post calling for “Armed Citizens to Protect our Lives and Property,” and inviting “patriots” to meet at the Kenosha courthouse to defend the city from “evil thugs.” With a gun illegally purchased for him by a friend, he volunteered to guard a used car dealership.

“It seems like he’s [Judge Schroeder] aiming to let this man out of this courthouse scot-free and we’re not going to let that happen,” Justin Blake, Jacob Blake’s uncle tells the Post.  “If it happens, we’re not going to be quiet about it.”

Let’s not forget, a year ago, right-wing nutcase attorney Lin Wood formed the FightBack Foundation in order to raise bail money for Rittenhouse—$2 million in bail was posted. Wood vehemently defended Trump in his ludicrous claim of a stolen election.

Six counts remain against Rittenhouse, including first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree intentional homicide, and attempted first-degree intentional homicide. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

Again… as this trial comes to a close, things are not looking good for the prosecutors.