Bruce Schroeder Kyle Rittenhouse
Getty Image
Viral

People Can’t Believe That The Judge At The Kyle Rittenhouse Trial Has A Ringtone That’s A Trump Rally Favorite

The trial of Kyle Rittenhouse — the Illinois teen who shot three protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin last summer, killing two, and who was supported by both Fox News ghouls and has-been ’80s stars — started last week, and for the first week-and-a-half it was pretty quiet. That all changed on Wednesday. A lot happened. Rittenhouse himself took the stand and launched into a crying jag that left many doubting its sincerity. The judge melodramatically snapped at the prosecution. And at one point the former’s cellphone went off, which wouldn’t have been that big a deal except for the particularly song that was his ringtone.

It was the kind of perfect moment one sees only in movies. The defense team was in the middle of accusing the prosecution of trying to intentionally cause a mistrial — which, of course, they themselves later requested by the end of the day — when Judge Bruce Schroeder’s phone started blasting its ringtone. What was it? Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.”

First released in 1984, the tune was Greenwood’s attempt to forge a new patriotic anthem for the era of Reagan and cheesy synths. It was instantly dated and for years fell into obscurity…until it was revived during the Gulf War during the early ’90s…and again after the September 11 attacks. It was dusted off once more by Donald J. Trump, who has long used it as his walk-up song during rallies.

Was this is a giveaway — an accidental admission of Schroeder’s political biases? Or did he simply just really dig the song? Either is likely. And a quick perusal on social media reveals both left and right think Schroeder is against them.

Still, the moment — which would seem too on-the-nose in a work of fiction — did not escape people’s notice:

(Via The Daily Beast)