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Kyle Rittenhouse

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Kyle Rittenhouse
Rittenhouse in 2021
Born
Kyle Howard Rittenhouse

(2003-01-03) January 3, 2003 (age 21)
Antioch, Illinois, U.S.
EducationLakes Community High School (2017–18; dropped out)
OrganizationThe Media Accountability Project
Known forKenosha unrest shooting

Kyle Howard Rittenhouse (born January 3, 2003) is the world's largest wanker who gained notoriety after the Kenosha unrest shooting on August 26, 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin where he shot three men during a period of civil unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Rittenhouse faced a criminal trial in Kenosha County Circuit Court in November 2021, where he was charged with multiple felonies relating to the shootings and subsequent deaths of two of the men. He was found not guilty on all counts by a jury the same month.

Following his acquittal, Rittenhouse made a series of media appearances at public and private events hosted by various conservative organizations and individuals, including a meeting with former president Donald Trump and interviews with political commentator Tucker Carlson. His likeness has been used to sell varied products, especially T-shirts. In 2022, Rittenhouse started the Media Accountability Project, a fundraising effort to sue media outlets in civil court for alleged defamation, and has announced an upcoming video game called Kyle Rittenhouse's Turkey Shoot.

Early life and family

Kyle Howard Rittenhouse was born on January 3, 2003 in Antioch, Illinois, United States, to Michael and Wendy Rittenhouse.[1][2] He is a white American.[3] His parents had married in Lake County, Illinois, in February 2000, and Rittenhouse's older sister was born in August 2000.[2] His younger sister was born in December 2003.[2] His parents separated by 2014.[2]

As a freshman, Rittenhouse participated in the Explorers program at the Grayslake Police Department, as well as "a similar cadet program through the Antioch Fire Department", with the goal of becoming a paramedic or working in law enforcement.[2] Eventually transitioning to online school, he dropped out and left Lakes Community High School altogether in 2018 after attending for one semester in 2017–2018.[2][4] He had a continued interest in law enforcement and would post about it on social media in publicly-viewable posts. In December 2018, Rittenhouse started a fundraiser through Facebook for the nonprofit Humanizing the Badge.[4] Other posts revolved around "honoring police, with Blue Lives Matter graphics, photos of officers killed in the line of duty, and the "thin blue line" flag associated with support for law enforcement."[4] On his TikTok profile description, Rittenhouse had written, "BLUE LIVES MATTER 🔵" and "Trump 2020 🇺🇸 🇺🇸".[5]

He attended a rally for former president Donald Trump in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 30, 2020.[5] Rittenhouse posted about the experience on the social media site TikTok, a post which he later deleted. During the event, Rittenhouse was seated in the front row, near where Trump was speaking. Trump spokesperson Tim Murtaugh denied Rittenhouse was part of the campaign in any way.[5] Rittenhouse got a part-time job as a lifeguard at the YMCA in Lindenhurst, but was furloughed in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began.[6][7]

Shooting and trial

Main article: Kenosha unrest shooting

After a Kenosha police officer shot Jacob Blake, an African-American man on August 23, 2020, civil unrest occurred in Kenosha, Wisconsin. On August 26, then 17-year-old Rittenhouse attended one of these protests, saying he was there to protect local businesses. While there, he shot three men, two of whom died.[8] Rittenhouse was eventually incarcerated, and his trial began on November 1, 2021. He was acquitted of all charges on November 19, 2021.[9] The trial was politically polarizing and received intense levels of coverage.[10] Rittenhouse was 18 years old at the time of acquittal.

Media appearances

After the acquittal, Rittenhouse began attending a quick succession of Republican and conservative events in what The Independent called a “publicity tour”.[11]

Rittenhouse speaking with attendees at the June 2022 Young Women's Leadership Summit hosted by Turning Point USA

Tucker Carlson Tonight interview

Fox News' Tucker Carlson secured an interview with Rittenhouse the same day the acquittal for Tucker Carlson Tonight, which was Rittenhouse's first public interview following the events.[12] Two days later on November 22, 2021, the hour-long episode titled "The Kyle Rittenhouse Interview" released, where Carlson interviewed Rittenhouse about a wide range of subjects.[13] Carlson introduced Rittenhouse as "bright, decent, sincere, dutiful, and hardworking... exactly the kind of person you would want many more of in your country."[14] During the interview, Rittenhouse said he would eventually like to become a lawyer or nurse.[13] The episode was the second-most watched episode of the show's run since it premiered in 2016, following the episode on the 2021 United States Capitol attack earlier in 2021.[15] It was watched by 4.942 million viewers; the next closest watched network of the night was MSNBC with 1.168 million viewers, leading TheWrap to state the interview "crushed the rest of cable news."[15] The Los Angeles Times said the interview "canonized" Rittenhouse and made him a "patron saint of right-wing violence", while categorizing the episode as a "soft ball", sympathizing interview.[16] Rittenhouse denied he was paid or compensated in any way for the interview, which Fox News affirmed.[17][18]

Meeting with Trump

Former president Trump announced on Sean Hannity's show that Rittenhouse had requested a meeting, saying, "He called. He wanted to know if he could come over, say hello, because he was a fan."[19] Rittenhouse, his mother, and Trump met at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida estate, the same day the Tucker Carlson Tonight interview aired on November 22, 2021.[19] Trump called him a "really a nice young man" and the two were photographed together.[20]

You are Here interview

In December 2021, Rittenhouse appeared on the podcast You Are Here, a project from Blaze Media hosted by Elijah Schaffer and Sydney Watson.[21]

AmericaFest panel interview

The same month, in December 2021, Rittenhouse spoke on a panel called "Kenosha on Camera" at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest, a conservative youth conference.[22][better source needed] The panel, which was held on the third day of the conference on December 20, consisted of Rittenhouse, Charlie Kirk, Jack Posobiec, Elijah Schaffer, and Drew Hernandez.[23][better source needed] Rittenhouse had appeared on Schaffer's podcast You Are Here two weeks prior. During the panel, Rittenhouse said, "I think my trial was an example of them trying to come after our Second Amendment rights, our right to defend ourselves and trying to take our weapons."[24] Kirk said, "You're a hero to millions, it's an honor to be able to have you", and the crowd gave him a standing ovation after chanting his name.[24] Representative Lauren Boebert also praised him when she was speaking.[22] The organization arranging the event said Rittenhouse was not compensated for the 45 minute panel appearance.[24]

Political internship offers and namesake bills

Rittenhouse has been publicly offered multiple internships, all by Republican lawmakers. On November 17, 2021, two days before the jury's decision, Florida House Representative Matt Gaetz offered him an internship.[25] In response, Arizona House Representative Paul Gosar tweeted he would arm-wrestle Gaetz for the chance to have Rittenhouse as an intern.[26] On the day the jury found Rittenhouse not guilty, North Carolina House Representative Madison Cawthorn offered Rittenhouse an internship.[25] During an appearance on Newsmax, Colorado House Representative Lauren Boebert responded to Cawthorn's offer and challenged Cawthorn, who is bound to a wheelchair, to "a sprint" to employ Rittenhouse as an intern.[27]

At least two laws and a proclamation have been proposed in different states which have been named after Rittenhouse. In November 2021, Oklahoma Senate Representative Nathan Dahm introduced Senate Bill 1120, called "Kyle's Law". The bill states if a defendant is charged with murder, but is found not guilty due to justifiable homicide, the state must reimburse them.[28] A modified version of the bill passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with a majority Republican party-line 7–3 vote in February 2022.[29]

In January 2022, Tennessee State Representative Bruce Griffey introduced HB1769, also known as "Kyle's Law". The Hill said the law "would require the state to reimburse defendants found not guilty of homicide charges due to self-defense."[30] Griffey additionally proposed a proclamation be created in honor of Rittenhouse, saying he "deserves to be recognized as a hero."[30]

Commercialization of Rittenhouse image

Rittenhouse's image has been used for a number of products and sales, including clothing, a gun sale, and a video game. Fans of Rittenhouse have continued to sell clothing with Rittenhouse's image following the trial.[31][32] The week following Rittenhouse's acquittal, the Saddle River Range gun store in Conroe, Texas held a "not guilty" sale and owner Thomas Bolsch posted a photo of Rittenhouse with a gun on their Instagram page.[33][better source needed]

In March 2022, Swedish company Nordic Empire Games launched a video game featuring Rittenhouse called Acquitted. Described as a far-right extremist group owned by William Hahne, the organization created the game that features Rittenhouse shooting his way through crowds of zombies with the choice of 18 different weapons.[34] It was launched through the Steam hosting platform and available for $5.[34] It was not announced if Nordic Empire Games had sought permission to use Rittenhouse's image.[34] In a review, Kotaku called the game "embarrassing", further writing "...it's a very poorly made zombie shooter, without even a glimmer of the courage of its convictions."[35] Early Game called it "the most offensive game in history."[36]

Career

Potential book

After the acquittal, speculation on a book deal began. Attorney Andrew M. Stroth, who previously worked as a talent agent, said Rittenhouse could "easily" get a book contract over $1 million.[37] In January 2022, Rittenhouse spokesman David Hancock said Rittenhouse was considering writing a book chronicling his "unorthodox journey into adulthood".[38] He further said the discussions were in the "early phase".[38]

The Media Accountability Project

In February 2022, Rittenhouse launched the Media Accountability Project, sometimes referred to by its acronym TMAP.[39][40] He announced the project on an interview with Tucker Carlson Tonight, saying:

"Me and my team have decided to launch The Media Accountability Project as a tool to help fundraise and hold the media accountable for the lies they said and deal with them in court. I don't want to see anybody else have to deal with what I went through. So I want to hold them accountable for what they did to me, because I don't want to see anybody have to go through what I went through."[41]

Rittenhouse said he may use the project to sue individuals Whoopi Goldberg and Cenk Uygur, both of whom had publicly called Rittenhouse a murderer after he was acquitted.[41] Mic was critical of the endeavor, saying Rittenhouse was "leveraging his status as a killer" and instead of helping others falsely accused by the media is using the exposure for himself.[42] The project drew comparisons to Nicholas Sandmann, a Covington Catholic High School student from Kentucky who became known for the January 2019 Lincoln Memorial confrontation.[43]

Video game

On June 23, 2022, Rittenhouse announced his upcoming video game through Mint Studios, called Kyle Rittenhouse's Turkey Shoot. The game features Rittenhouse holding a bright orange gun with the aim of shooting turkeys that represent the media. In a trailer, Rittenhouse said, "The media is nothing but a bunch of turkeys with nothing better to do than to push their lying agenda and destroy innocent people's lives."[44] The game preview features a rap by Rittenhouse about shooting the turkeys.[45] The Daily Beast called the game a "grift" while The Root called it "the lamest video game ever" and refused to link to the presale from their article.[45][46] The game, which is still in preorder status, is being sold for $9.99 through the studio.[47]

Personal life

Educational aspirations

In October 2021, Rittenhouse started taking online classes at Arizona State University as a non-degree seeking student, and wanted to transition to in-person classes.[48] Non-degree seeking students at ASU go through a "modified admissions process" instead of the full admissions process for degree-seeking students.[49] ASU students held a rally called "Killer off campus" to protest Rittenhouse's enrollment. Multiple student groups organized the rally, including: Students for Justice in Palestine, Students for Socialism, ASU's MEChA chapter, and the Multicultural Solidarity Coalition.[49] By the next month, he had withdrawn.[48]

In a June 2022 appearance on The Charlie Kirk Show, Rittenhouse said he would be attending Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas; a spokesperson from the university denied he had been accepted.[50] After that announcement, Rittenhouse posted on Twitter he would be attending Blinn College, a junior college and what he referred to as a "feeder school" for Texas A&M.[50] A college spokesperson confirmed Rittenhouse had applied, but had "not enrolled for a current or upcoming term."[50]

Social media use

In August 2020, Facebook and Instagram banned Rittenhouse from the platforms and disabled users from being able to search for his name.[51] In December 2021, they reversed that policy, and Rittenhouse rejoined and has continued to be active on social media on his unverified accounts.[51]

References

  1. ^ Abraham, Ellie (December 17, 2021). "People have just discovered Kyle Rittenhouse and Greta Thunberg were born on exactly the same day". The Independent. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Williams, Paige (June 28, 2021). "Kyle Rittenhouse, American Vigilante". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  3. ^ Osterheldt, Jeneé (November 19, 2021). "Kyle Rittenhouse, white supremacy, and the privilege of self-defense". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Armus, Teo (August 27, 2020). "Who is Kyle Rittenhouse? Here's what we know about the 17-year-old charged in the Kenosha protest shooting". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Hall, Ellie; Jamieson, Amber; Nashrulla, Tasneem; Goba, Kadia (August 26, 2020). "The Kenosha Shooting Suspect Was In The Front Row Of A Trump Rally In January". Buzzfeed News. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  6. ^ St. Clair, Stacy; Gutowski, Christy; McCoppin, Robert; Leventis Lourgos, Angie (August 26, 2020). "What we know so far about Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old accused of murder after fatal Kenosha protest shootings". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  7. ^ "Kyle Rittenhouse: Who is US teen cleared of protest killings?". BBC News. November 19, 2021. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  8. ^ Richmond, Todd (November 19, 2021). "EXPLAINER: What charges did Kyle Rittenhouse face?". Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  9. ^ Sullivan, Becky (November 19, 2021). "Kyle Rittenhouse is acquitted of all charges in the trial over killing 2 in Kenosha". NPR. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  10. ^ Ax, Joseph (November 21, 2021). "Hero or vigilante? Rittenhouse verdict reignites polarized U.S. gun debate". Reuters. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  11. ^ Bremmer, John (December 23, 2021). "Kyle Rittenhouse says 'I Wouldn't Accept A Penny' For Publicity Tour". The Independent. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  12. ^ Tapp, Tom (November 19, 2021). "Fox News' Tucker Carlson Lands First TV Interview With Kyle Rittenhouse, Set For Monday". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Luscombe, Richard (November 22, 2021). "Outcry as Kyle Rittenhouse sits down for Tucker Carlson Fox News interview". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  14. ^ Hemmer, Nicole (November 23, 2021). "Tucker Carlson just added Kyle Rittenhouse to his pantheon of victim-heroes". CNN. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  15. ^ a b Maglio, Tony (November 23, 2021). "Kyle Rittenhouse Interview Was Tucker Carlson's Most-Watched Episode Since Jan 6 Insurrection". TheWrap. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  16. ^ Ali, Lorraine (November 22, 2021). "Tucker Carlson canonizes Kyle Rittenhouse the patron saint of right-wing violence". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  17. ^ Mastrangelo, Dominick (November 23, 2021). "Kyle Rittenhouse: No money exchanged for Tucker Carlson interview, documentary series". The Hill. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  18. ^ Bauder, David (2021-11-20). "Fox says it did not pay for Rittenhouse film and interview". AP News. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  19. ^ a b Ellefson, Lindsey (November 24, 2021). "Kyle Rittenhouse Met With Trump at Mar-a-Lago Because of Course He Did". TheWrap. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  20. ^ Ward, Myah (November 23, 2021). "Trump says Kyle Rittenhouse visited him in Mar-a-Lago after trial". Politico. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  21. ^ Mark, Julian (December 7, 2021). "In new podcast interview, Kyle Rittenhouse says traveling to Kenosha was 'not the best idea'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  22. ^ a b Gilbert, David (December 21, 2021). "Kyle Rittenhouse Is Now the Hottest GOP Superstar Since Trump". Vice. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  23. ^ Yee, Natasha (December 22, 2021). "Kyle Rittenhouse Is Being Handed the Torch of Conservative Victimhood for the Next Generation". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  24. ^ a b c Barchenger, Stacey (December 20, 2021). "At conservative megaconference in Phoenix, Kyle Rittenhouse embraces role of conservative icon". Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  25. ^ a b Lonas, Lexi (November 29, 2021). "Madison Cawthorn offers Rittenhouse an internship". The Hill. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  26. ^ Chang, Alisa (November 19, 2021). "For far-right groups, Rittenhouse's acquittal is a cause for celebration". NPR. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  27. ^ Bailey, Jeremy (November 23, 2021). "Lauren Boebert Challenges Wheelchair-Bound Madison Cawthorn to a Sprint on Newsmax (Video)". TheWrap. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  28. ^ Marcus, Josh (November 25, 2021). "Oklahoma senator pens 'Kyle's Law' for victims of 'malicious' prosecution after Rittenhouse case". The Independent. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  29. ^ Maranon, Rick (March 1, 2022). "Bill based off Kyle Rittenhouse Kenosha trial tweaked, moving forward". KOKI-TV. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  30. ^ a b Folmar, Chloe (January 19, 2022). "Tennessee lawmaker presents self-defense bill in 'honor' of Kyle Rittenhouse". The Hill. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  31. ^ Osnos, Evan (2021). Wildland: The Making of America's Fury. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0374720735.
  32. ^ Clayton, James (December 21, 2020). "Kyle Rittenhouse: YouTube struggles with hero worship". BBC. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  33. ^ Impelli, Matthew (November 24, 2021). "Texas Gun Store Holds 'Not Guilty' Sale Following Rittenhouse Verdict". Newsweek. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  34. ^ a b c "Kyle Rittenhouse inspires politician who wants to repatriate immigrants to make video game about night the Midwestern teen killed 2 people". The Daily Dot. May 9, 2022. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  35. ^ Walker, John (May 10, 2022). "Far-Right Dev's Kyle Rittenhouse Steam Shooter Isn't 'Edgy,' It's Embarrassing". Kotaku. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  36. ^ Ramuz, Jon (December 5, 2022). "This Is The Most Offensive Game In History". Early Game. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  37. ^ "'He Could Easily Secure Seven-Figure Book Contract': Kyle Rittenhouse Ponders What's Next". CBS News. Associated Press. November 29, 2021. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  38. ^ a b Hurley, Bevan (January 5, 2022). "Kyle Rittenhouse in talks to write book about his 'unorthodox journey into adulthood'". The Independent. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  39. ^ Pengelly, Martin (February 22, 2022). "Kyle Rittenhouse launches initiative to fight media 'lies'". The Guardian. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  40. ^ Cooper, Lance (February 23, 2022). "Kyle Rittenhouse Accountability Project Takes Aim At Media And Celebrities". FwrdAxis. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  41. ^ a b Wulfsohn, Joseph A. (February 21, 2022). "Kyle Rittenhouse launching initiative to combat 'lies' from powerful media outlets, names those he may sue". Fox News. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  42. ^ Dellinger, AJ (February 22, 2022). "Kyle Rittenhouse simply will not stop leveraging his status as a killer". Mic. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  43. ^ Heine, Debra (February 23, 2022). "Kyle Rittenhouse Launches New Initiative to Hold Media Outlets Accountable for Telling Defamatory Lies". Tennessee Star. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  44. ^ Klimentov, Mikhail (June 23, 2022). "Kyle Rittenhouse announces video game to fund media defamation suits". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  45. ^ a b Tecotzky, Alice (June 23, 2022). "Oh Great, a Kyle Rittenhouse Video Game About Shooting 'Fake News Turkeys'". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  46. ^ Reed, Keith (June 24, 2022). "Kyle Rittenhouse Makes Video Game About Shooting the Media". The Root. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  47. ^ Palma, Sky (June 23, 2022). "Kyle Rittenhouse launches video game where users shoot and kill 'fake news turkeys'". Raw Story. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  48. ^ a b Steinbach, Allison (November 30, 2021). "As controversy over his enrollment swirls, ASU says Kyle Rittenhouse is not currently a student". Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  49. ^ a b Schwenk, Katya (November 29, 2021). "Now You See Him, Now You Don't: Kyle Rittenhouse Is No Longer an ASU Student". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  50. ^ a b c McGee, Kate (June 6, 2022). "Kyle Rittenhouse now says he's going to Blinn College, after Texas A&M said he's not a student". Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  51. ^ a b Romo, Vanessa (December 14, 2021). "Meta is reversing policy that kept Kyle Rittenhouse from Facebook and Instagram". NPR. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
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