Kyle Rittenhouse listens to the crowd cheer for him before a panel discussion during the third day of AmericaFest 2021 hosted by Turning Point USA on Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, in Phoenix. Photo: Antranik Tavitian/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Kyle Rittenhouse, who killed two people in 2020 and injured a third at a rally where people had gathered to protest the killing of a Black man by police officers, was the subject of significant online backlash this weekend… from his fellow conservatives.
After taking two lives during a protest for racial justice in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Rittenhouse has marketed himself as a gun rights activist. In a now-deleted post, Rittenhouse said that former President Donald Trump was “bad on the Second Amendment.”
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“If you cannot be completely un-compromisable on the Second Amendment, I will not vote for you,” he said. “We need champions for the Second Amendment or our rights would be eaten away and eroded each day.”
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Instead, Rittenhouse said he would write in former Rep. Ron Paul (L-TX) as his choice for president. “I support my decision and I make no take backs.”
Rittenhouse’s opposition to the former president was met with fury by members of the far-right, who responded with conspiracy theories. The far-right had rallied around him as if he was a hero after was charged and then acquitted with two counts of homicide, one count of attempted homicide, and reckless endangerment.
Once he came out against the GOP presidential candidate, Rittenhouse was turned on by his own. Many called him a traitor and said he should have actually gone to prison, such as political commentator Joey Mannarino, who wrote on X: “If not for Maga, you would be rotting in a prison bending over for Bubba … F**k you and the horse you rode in on!”
The far-right group Q-ANON went a step further, saying that he was secretly a transgender psy-op and crisis actor in the Sandy Hook shooting.
X user Isaac’s Army, which has 360,000 followers that it spreads extremist views to, led the charge. “It’s all a pysop……..” they wrote, above a photo with three pictures of Rittenhouse that said, “‘HE’S’ A SHE.”
Another person posted an image calling Rittenhouse a “Biological female” and listed the traits that they believed showed that Rittenhouse is a trans man.
Another conspiracy-riddled X that goes by the username “Prolotario1” wrote in a post, “Donald Trump has always been surrounded by plants. I gave you all a long list of turncoats who’s sole purpose was to build their profile to get close to D. Trump camp then do or say some outlandish things in the most critical moments.”
User @NotOpCue wrote, “Q Told Us: Symbolism Will Be Their Downfall, Q Told Us: Infiltration Instead of Invasion,” next to pictures Kyle Rittenhouse next to a Sandy Hook victim, insinuating that Kyle Rittenhouse was a “crisis actor” in the horrific shooting that left 20 children and six adults dead.
Rittenhouse backtracked his criticism not even 12 hours after the online hate from his fellow conservatives started. On Friday afternoon, he posted, “Over the past 12 hours, I’ve had a series of productive conversations with members of the Trump’s team and I am confident he will be the strong ally gun owners need to defend our Second Amendment rights.”
“My comments made last night were ill-informed and unproductive. I’m 100% behind Donald Trump and encourage every gun owner to join me in helping send him back to the White House.”
While many conservatives welcomed Rittenhouse back with open arms and “welcome back” posts, he has faced criticism for his spinelessness.
“you stand for absolutely nothing and have zero backbone” @brndxix replied to his post.
