‘What Alec Baldwin did is a tragedy, what Kyle Rittenhouse did is murder’: tweet sparks anger

A social media commentator and self-professed ‘loudmouth on the internet’ has sparked a firestorm by tweeting that Alec Baldwin was innocent, but Kyle Rittenhouse was a murderer.

Jeff Tiedrich, a New York-based graphic designer and musician, made a name for himself online with his criticism of President Donald Trump.

On Thursday, Tiedrich, 65, weighed in on the decision to charge Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter over the October 2021 on-set shooting of camerawoman Halyna Hutchins.

He contrasted it with the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, who in August 2020 shot and killed two Black Lives Matter protesters when he was 17-years-old.

Rittenhouse was tried and in November 2021 found not guilty of murder, having argued that he acted in self-defense amid chaotic scenes in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Tiedrich drew parallels between the two shootings.

Jeff Tiedrich, 65, has gained a million followers on Twitter thanks to his outspoken criticism of Donald Trump, and his political activism

Alec Baldwin is seen on October 21, 2021, after speaking to investigators about the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins. He has now been told he faces charges of involuntary manslaughter

Kyle Rittenhouse was 17 when he traveled from his home in Illinois to Kenosha, Wisconsin, to ‘protect’ businesses during Black Lives Matter protests in August 2020. Rittenhouse shot and killed two of the activists, but was cleared of murder following a trial in November 2021

‘What Alec Baldwin did is a tragedy. what Kyle Rittenhouse did is murder. if you won’t recognize the difference, I can’t help you,’ Tiedrich tweeted, in comments viewed 3.6 million times, receiving 87,000 likes and 15,000 responses.

On Friday, Tiedrich doubled down, writing: ‘holy f****** s***, if an actor accidentally discharging a gun while rehearsing for a movie has you s****ing bricks, wait until you hear about the teenager who asked his mommy to drive him across state lines so he could deliberately fire into a crowd of protestors.’

Social media users reacted with anger.

‘Rittenhouse was a clear-cut case of self-defense and anyone who says otherwise is likely motivated by their personal animosity towards him,’ said one. 

‘Baldwin’s case boils down to the precise legal definition of what constitutes ‘ordinary negligence’ and is by no means a slam-dunk. ‘

One said Tiedrich should have paid more attention to Rittenhouse’s trial.

‘What Alec Baldwin did was negligent homicide. What Kyle Rittenhouse did was self defense. 

‘You’d know the difference if you’d watched 30 seconds of the Rittenhouse trial, which was nothing but a waste of taxpayer money.’

Baldwin is seen on Friday outside his Manhattan home. He is said to be shell-shocked by the charges, and has vowed to contest them

Another accused Tiedrich of spreading ‘disinformation’.

‘You’ve got it backwards,’ he said. 

‘Kyle Rittenhouse has been tried and found to be innocent. Alec Baldwin has yet to be tried, but soon will be and will almost certainly be found guilty. 

Baldwin is seen in costume, covered with fake blood, in an image posted to Instagram 

‘Quit spreading disinformation.’

And another pointed out that Tiedrich was not an impartial arbitrator.

‘Baldwin was reckless and should have known better. 

‘Kyle is just a kid who wanted to help and got caught up in a mob situation. People attacked him as he ran away. He did what any normal person would do, defend himself. 

‘With your distorted perception I wouldn’t want your help.’

Baldwin insists that he did not pull the trigger on the prop gun which killed Halyna Hutchins, 42.

He said the gun misfired. He has also argued that he cannot be held responsible for the prop guns, and that he trusted the armorers employed on set.

His attorney called the decision to charge him a ‘terrible miscarriage of justice’. 

Halyna Hutchins, a 42-year-old camerawoman, was killed by Baldwin on set in October 2021

Rittenhouse is seen on January 24, 2022, on the set of conservative Candace Owens’s chat show

Rittenhouse travelled to Kenosha, Wisconsin from his home in Illinois to ‘protect’ local businesses, after Black Lives Matter protests turned ugly.

He was not legally allowed to carry a rifle, but did so.

Rittenhouse, who had long idolized police, ran around town in what he saw as a law enforcement role.

When the rioting escalated, Rittenhouse was attacked, and responded by opening fire into the crowd.

He killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26. He shot and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, who was carrying a pistol.

Rittenhouse became a hero for conservatives, but was called a murderer by the left.

His trial was closely watched nationwide, and the jury ultimately acquitted Rittenhouse, accepting that he acted in self defense.

In the year since his acquittal, Rittenhouse has sought to capitalize on his ‘fame’, launching a YouTube channel for gun fanatics, and embarking on a speaking tour. He is selling a video game, where players can open fire at ‘fake news’ turkeys.

His actions remain controversial, and many venues where Rittenhouse has been scheduled to speak have ended up cancelling his appearance amid protest.