World Series champion Aubrey Huff praised the 17-year-old gunman charged with killing two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“#KyleRittenhouse is a national treasure,” the ex-San Francisco Giant tweeted Wednesday night.
Huff’s post, which garnered more than 2,700 likes and 1,165 retweets and comments, drew a mixed reaction of disgust and support before it was deleted Thursday morning.
The 43-year-old dad of two — who helped lead the Giants to their 2010 World Series win — has made headlines before for his controversial tweets.
In January, after the Giants promoted Alyssa Nakken to assistant coach — making her the first full-time female assistant coach in Major League Baseball history — Huff tweeted, “This has #metoo & #BelieveAllWomen written all over it. Only in @SFGiants.”
He also posted, “Couldn’t imagine taking baseball instruction from an ex female softball player.”
Huff’s social media activity got him excluded from the Giants’ 10-year World Series reunion in February, with the team saying his views were “unacceptable and run counter to the values of our organization.”
He said he was “shocked” and “disappointed” over the decision — but blew it off.
“If it wasn’t for me, they wouldn’t be having a reunion,” he told The Athletic. “But if they want to stick with their politically correct, progressive bulls–t, that’s fine.”
Rittenhouse was charged Wednesday with first-degree intentional homicide for allegedly fatally shooting one man in the head and another in the chest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the night before.
The teen from Antioch, Illinois, is being held without bond. He is due back in court on Friday.
Nightly riots have broken out in the Wisconsin city for three days, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake on Sunday.