Kyle Rittenhouse Changes Stance, Endorses Trump Following Online Backlash
Kyle Rittenhouse initially announced that he would not support Donald Trump’s bid to return to the White House, but eventually reversed his stance and endorsed Trump after facing an onslaught of hostile messages from Trump’s supporters.
Rittenhouse, who has become a prominent gun rights advocate after being acquitted of fatally shooting two people during racial justice protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020, had originally pledged to write in former congressman Ron Paul as his choice for the upcoming presidential election. In a video posted on social media platform X, Rittenhouse criticized Trump’s record on gun rights and explained his decision to support Paul instead.
However, Rittenhouse soon found himself at the center of intense backlash from Trump’s supporters, many of whom had previously embraced him as a hero and helped raise substantial funds for his legal defense. The vitriol included taunts and accusations of betrayal, with some supporters referencing Trump’s earlier meeting with Rittenhouse at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump had praised him as a “really nice young man.”
One prominent response came from political commentator Joey Mannarino, who harshly criticized Rittenhouse on X, saying, “If not for Maga, you would be rotting in a prison bending over for Bubba… Fuck you and the horse you rode in on!” Another user echoed similar sentiments, wishing Rittenhouse had been sent to prison.
By Friday afternoon, Rittenhouse had reversed his position, posting on X that he was now “100% behind Donald Trump” and urging gun owners to support Trump’s return to the White House. He stated that after “productive conversations” with members of Trump’s team, he was confident in Trump’s commitment to defending gun rights. Rittenhouse admitted that his earlier comments were “ill-informed and unproductive.”
This abrupt change in position was met with swift criticism, with some commentators mocking Rittenhouse for his apparent lack of conviction. One user remarked, “You stand for absolutely nothing and have zero backbone,” while another quipped, “This time try not to murder anyone while you’re backpedaling.”
Rittenhouse was only 17 when he traveled from his home in Antioch, Illinois, to Kenosha, where protests had erupted after a white police officer shot Jacob Blake, a Black man. Armed with a rifle, Rittenhouse joined other self-appointed security guards and ended up fatally shooting Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, while injuring Gage Grosskreutz, 27. Charged with five felonies, including first-degree intentional homicide, Rittenhouse claimed self-defense and was ultimately acquitted of all charges, a verdict that polarized public opinion, being celebrated by far-right figures and condemned by civil rights activists.
