Huber’s great-aunt says Rittenhouse should be wary of GOP support

By Mark Guarino

3:25 p.m.

Susan Hughes, Anthony Huber’s great-aunt, who testified at the trial, accused the GOP of using Rittenhouse and warned him against members of the party reaching out to him with offers.

“He’ll continue to be used by people,” Hughes said. “If I was speaking to him directly, I’d say you gotta man up, quickly, because you need to get better at understanding who you have around you and who has an agenda.”

Hughes said that Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) offer to hire Rittenhouse as an intern is an example of how he might become a symbol for the party who could get discarded in the future.

“Right now, everyone has an agenda and if they think that child belongs in the hall of the Capitol as an intern for Matt Gaetz, that is going to destroy him,” Hughes said. “Ten years down the road, Matt Gaetz and people will have deserted him when he is no longer good for their fundraising efforts.”

Reps. Madison Cawthorn (N.C.) and Paul A. Gosar (Ariz.) have also extended internship offers to Rittenhouse.