Right-wing cause célèbre Kyle Rittenhouse created a conservative media frenzy Friday by stating that he would not be supporting Donald Trump for President due to concerns that Trump was not sufficiently pro-gun. Several hours later, Rittenhouse took to X to explain that he had changed his mind and would be voting for the former President.
Rittenhouse’s Initial Relationship with Trump
Rittenhouse, age 21, and Trump had met during the first Trump Administration, when Trump invited him to Mar-a-Lago after Rittenhouse, at age 17, shot and killed two men in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in self-defense during a protest against police brutality in August 2020.
Rittenhouse’s Criticism of Trump’s Gun Rights Stance
On Thursday, Rittenhouse took to social media to argue that Trump was no longer a champion of gun rights. He said that he would write another candidate’s name on the ballot.
Reaction to Rittenhouse’s Declaration
The declaration unleashed a torrent of responses from his followers and others who wanted to weigh in to change Rittenhouse’s mind or support his decision.
Reversal of Decision
Several hours later, Rittenhouse announced that he had changed his mind and would now vote for Donald Trump to become president.
Conversations with Trump’s Team
He said, “Over the past 12 hours, I’ve had a series of productive conversations with Trump team members, and I am confident he will be the strong ally gun owners need to defend our Second Amendment rights.”
Apology and Support for Trump
He said, “My comments made last night were ill-informed and unproductive. I’m 100 percent behind Donald Trump and encourage every gun owner to join me in helping send him back to the White House.”
Rittenhouse’s Role in Gun Rights Advocacy
Rittenhouse serves as the outreach director for Texas gun rights. In his initial video, in which he stated he would be writing in a candidate on the ballot, he said, “A lot of people are upset that I said I would be writing in Ron Paul for president of the United States.”
“That is true. I will be writing in Ron Paul. Unfortunately, Donald Trump had bad advisors, making him bad on the Second Amendment.”
Concerns About Second Amendment Erosion
Without a Second Amendment champion in the White House, Rittenhouse said, “our rights will be eaten away and eroded each day.”
Follower Reactions to Rittenhouse’s Fickleness
Despite his course correction within only 12 hours, Rittenhouse’s conservative followers took note of what he considered as fickleness.
Loss of Followers
One follower responded, “That was the wildest rollercoaster ride I’ve ever seen, and the funny thing is it didn’t even last 12 hours. I hope you learned your lesson because you lost over 42,697 followers with that little announcement.”
Criticism from Trump Supporters
Many other Trump supporters roasted Rittenhouse for “disloyal” treatment of Trump, who defended 17-year-old Rittenhouse when he was charged with two counts of homicide.
Images and Articles Shared by Followers
People posted images of Rittenhouse and Trump at Mar-a-Lago and an article titled “Trump Defends Kenosha Shooting Suspect.”
Trump’s Defense of Rittenhouse
Trump said of Rittenhouse in 2021, “He wanted to know if he could come over and say hello. He was a fan. What he went through… was prosecutorial misconduct. He should not have had to suffer through a trial for that.”
