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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.
Education	Lakes Community High School (2017–18; dropped out)
Organization	The Media Accountability Project
Known for	Kenosha unrest shooting

Kyle Howard Rittenhouse (born January 3, 2003) is an American conservative celebrity known for his trial and acquittal after he shot three men during the civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin in August 2020.

Rittenhouse has appeared at public and private events hosted by conservative organizations and individuals which included a meeting with former president Donald Trump, television features with political commentator Tucker Carlson, and as a guest at several Turning Point USA productions. 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 announced a video game to raise funds for legal defense.

Early life and family

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

As a high school 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. 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. He expressed interest in law enforcement through publicly-viewable social media posts. In December 2018, Rittenhouse started a fundraiser through Facebook for Humanizing the Badge, a nonprofit. 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." On his TikTok profile description, Rittenhouse had written, "BLUE LIVES MATTER 🔵" and "Trump 2020 🇺🇸 🇺🇸".

He attended a rally for former president Donald Trump in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 30, 2020. 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. 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.

Shooting and criminal trial

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, the third night of demonstrations associated with the Kenosha unrest, then 17-year-old Rittenhouse attended with an AR-style semiautomatic rifle, saying he was there to protect local businesses. While there, he shot three men, two of whom died. Rittenhouse was eventually incarcerated, and his trial began on November 1, 2021. He was acquitted of all charges on November 19, 2021. The trial was politically polarizing and received intense levels of coverage. Rittenhouse was 18 years old at the time of acquittal.

Media appearances

After the acquittal, the Associated Press called Rittenhouse "in demand" and "a red-hot star of the right". He began attending a quick succession of Republican and conservative events in what The Independent called a "publicity tour". During the tour, he was being represented by publicist Jillian Anderson, a former contestant on season 19 of the reality television show The Bachelor. A picture of the two released on November 22, 2021 went viral on social media.

Tucker Carlson projects

A film crew for Tucker Carlson and Fox Nation followed Rittenhouse during the trial for a documentary feature, against the advice of Rittenhouse's attorneys.

Carlson of Fox News held an exclusive interview with Rittenhouse for Tucker Carlson Tonight immediately following his acquittal. 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. Carlson introduced Rittenhouse as "bright, decent, sincere, dutiful, and hardworking... exactly the kind of person you would want many more of in your country." During the interview, Rittenhouse said he would eventually like to become a lawyer or nurse. 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. It was watched by 4.942 million viewers compared to the show's average of 3.16 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." 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. Rittenhouse denied he was paid or compensated in any way for the interview, which Fox News affirmed.

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." 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. Trump called him "really a nice young man" and the two were photographed together.

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. During the podcast, Rittenhouse said going to Kenosha the night of the protests was "not the best idea".

Turning Point USA events

Rittenhouse has appeared at several events run by Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit organization.

He spoke on a panel called "Kenosha on Camera" at Turning Point USA's conservative youth conference AmericaFest in December 2021. 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. 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." 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. Representative Lauren Boebert also praised him when she was speaking. The organization arranging the event said Rittenhouse was not compensated for the 45 minute panel appearance.

The Jenna Ellis Show podcast

In March 2022, Rittenhouse joined former Trump staffer Jenna Ellis on her podcast The Jenna Ellis Show, where he said he is afraid to run errands for fear of harassment. He denied being a racist or white supremacist. He said he had reached out to President Joe Biden several times but had not received a response, saying, "He still hasn't replied. So it just shows how much of a man he is to not sit down and talk."

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. In response, Arizona House Representative Paul Gosar tweeted he would arm-wrestle Gaetz for the chance to have Rittenhouse as an intern. On the day the jury found Rittenhouse not guilty, North Carolina House Representative Madison Cawthorn offered Rittenhouse an internship. 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. In response to Gaetz, Gosar, and Cawthorn offering the internships, Missouri House representative Cori Bush called for their expulsion, tweeting "Not only do these members fuel violence. Now they're actively recruiting someone whose sole qualification is killing people standing up for Black lives and getting away with it."

At least two laws, a bill, and a proclamation have been proposed in different states which have been named after Rittenhouse. In November 2021, Georgia House representative Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced the Kyle H. Rittenhouse Congressional Gold Medal Act (H.R.6070) during the 117th United States Congress. The bill, which would award Rittenhouse the Congressional Gold Medal, had no co-sponsors. Taylor Greene stated, "Kyle Rittenhouse deserves to be remembered as a hero who defended his community, protected businesses, and acted lawfully in the face of lawlessness. I’m proud to file this legislation to award Kyle Rittenhouse a Congressional Gold Medal." Political commentator Lindy Li called Taylor Greene a "sick joke" for introducing the bill, and pointed out former recipients included George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, the Wright brothers, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Winston Churchill, Robert F. Kennedy, and Mother Teresa.

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. 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.

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." Griffey additionally proposed a proclamation be created in honor of Rittenhouse, saying he "deserves to be recognized as a hero."

Commercialization and use of his image

While campaigning for president in 2020, Biden used images of Rittenhouse in a campaign video he tweeted the day after the September 29 presidential debate. The BBC wrote the video "appeared to link Rittenhouse, without any evidence, to white supremacists." Rittenhouse said using his image and linking him to white supremacy was "actual malice, defaming my character, for him to say something like that." Besides Biden's video, memes using Rittenhouse's image have spread on social media. In a study of his image being used as a meme on Twitter, the Global Network on Extremism and Ideology found thousands of instances of Rittenhouse's face and commentary on his actions shared through a variety of different hashtags. Multiple political figures have shared those memes, including Donald Trump Jr. and Barry Moore. In March 2022, Rittenhouse shared of meme of himself crying while on the witness stand during his trial to protest rising gas prices, which he tweeted was "thanks to a Joe Biden presidency".

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 his image following the trial. In 2020, YouTube was criticized for a lack of adequate content moderation – arbitrarily allowing videos depicting Rittenhouse which glorified violence and monitized the killings through links to merchandise – until it was pointed out by a BBC journalist.

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.

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. It was launched through the Steam hosting platform and available for $5. It was not announced if Nordic Empire Games had sought permission to use Rittenhouse's image. 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." Early Game called it "the most offensive game in history."

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. In January 2022, Rittenhouse spokesman David Hancock said Rittenhouse was considering writing a book chronicling his "unorthodox journey into adulthood". He further said the discussions were in the "early phase".

The Media Accountability Project

In February 2022, Rittenhouse launched the Media Accountability Project, sometimes referred to by its acronym TMAP. 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."

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. In May 2022, Snopes rated claims that Rittenhouse had filed and settled a lawsuit against Goldberg and The View as false. 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. 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.

Video game

On June 23, 2022, Rittenhouse announced a video game called Kyle Rittenhouse's Turkey Shoot, developed by Mint Studios, for the purpose of funding his media defamation suits. The video game, which features a cartoon Rittenhouse holding a bright orange gun with the aim of shooting turkeys that represent the media, has no stated release date. In a social media advertisement for the game, Rittenhouse described the media as "nothing but a bunch of turkeys with nothing better to do than to push their lying agenda and destroy innocent people's lives." The game preview includes a rap by Rittenhouse about shooting the turkeys. 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. Ingrid Newkirk, president of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, released a statement that read, in part: "...we need to protect and respect all—not promote more violence through a video game advocating shooting turkeys, who bother no one and are thinking, feeling birds who look after their brood and, when not factory farmed, have full and interesting lives that they value."

Legal defense

As of November 2021, supporters had raised more than $2 million for Rittenhouse's legal defense.

Civil suits

In January 2022, Rittenhouse was added as a named defendant in a civil suit previously filed in federal court by the family of Anthony Huber, one of the men that he fatally shot. The lawsuit was initiated by the family in August 2021 against the Kenosha Police Department and Kenosha County Sheriff's Department and claims that law enforcement allowed Rittenhouse to harm people peacefully protesting against the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

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. Non-degree seeking students at ASU go through a "modified admissions process" instead of the full admissions process for degree-seeking students. 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. By the next month, he had withdrawn.

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. 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. A Blinn College spokesperson confirmed Rittenhouse had applied, but had "not enrolled for a current or upcoming term."

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. In December 2021, they reversed that policy, and Rittenhouse rejoined and has continued to be active on social media on his unverified accounts.

References

1. Sources that call Rittenhouse a celebrity include:
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   • Stelloh, Tim (March 12, 2022). "Kyle Rittenhouse's assault-style rifle shredded in crime lab". NBC News. Retrieved July 10, 2022. turned Rittenhouse ... into a celebrity among right wing fans
   • Cullen, Kevin (November 22, 2021). "Despite killing two people, Kyle Rittenhouse stands to become a celebrity". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 9, 2022. Whatever the verdict, Rittenhouse ... was going to be famous.
   • Beumer, Pia (June 15, 2022). "Bernhard Goetz and the roots of Kyle Rittenhouse's celebrity on the right". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2022-07-06. Retrieved 2022-07-05. The celebrity treatment that conservatives are giving Kyle Rittenhouse
   • Ismail, Aymann (November 2, 2021). "The Real Danger of the Kyle Rittenhouse Trial". Slate. Retrieved July 7, 2022. He's a celebrity for many of these right-wing militia groups...{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
   • Yousef, Odette (November 21, 2021). "Far right extremists herald Kyle Rittenhouse's acquittal". NPR. Retrieved July 7, 2022. The trial and Rittenhouse himself have become celebrity causes for the far right on a number of issues.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
   • Fitzgerald, Kyle (November 22, 2021). "Kyle Rittenhouse says he's 'not a racist person' in Fox News interview". The National. Retrieved July 7, 2022. Defence attorney Mark Richards, who represented Mr Rittenhouse during the trial, said that Republican politicians who are trying to profit from the teenager's newfound celebrity status are "disgusting".{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
   • Bahia, Jasmeet (December 2, 2021). "The acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse raises questions about white privilege". The Conversation. Retrieved July 7, 2022. The acquittal of Rittenhouse and his celebrity among right-wing extremists proves that white skin colour alone is not enough to protect white people.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
   • Pratte Oates, Ashley (December 20, 2021). "Kyle Rittenhouse speaking at Turning Point USA conference sends a dangerous message". NBC News. Retrieved July 7, 2022. With multiple GOP lawmakers weirdly vying for his attention, it gave Rittenhouse an overnight celebrity status within the right-wing fringe.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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External links

• Kyle Rittenhouse at IMDb
• Official website for The Media Accountability Project

• 2003 births
• Living people
• 21st-century American people
• American media personalities
• People acquitted of murder
• People from Antioch, Illinois