Kyle Rittenhouse, the rifle-wielding teenager who shot two unarmed racial justice protesters to death in Kenosha, Wisconsin, two years ago, met with members of the GOP Second Amendment House caucus on Thursday.
Rittenhouse, found not guilty of homicide charges last year for killings his lawyers argued were self-defense, met with members of the pro-gun caucus at a gathering at the Conservative Partnership Institute office near the Capitol.
Rittenhouse repeated his self-serving defense and held a question-and-answer session, The Hill reported. He has been hailed as a right-wing celebrity since the killings.
The caucus is chaired by Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). Rittenhouse posed for a photo with both of them, and with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
He also posed for a wild Twitter photo in front of the Capitol, writing: “T- 5 years until I can call this place my office?” Given Twitter’s meltdown, it was unclear whether it was an actual message, though his profile did have a “verified” blue check.
“It was an honor to have Kyle join the Second Amendment Caucus,” Boebert, whose close election appears headed for a recount, told The Hill in a statement. “He is a powerful example of why we must never give an inch on our Second Amendment rights, and his perseverance and love for our country was an inspiration.”
Rittenhouse was charged after he killed two unarmed protesters following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. The shooter, then 17, used an assault-style rifle purchased by a friend to fatally shoot Joseph Rosenbaum, who had run after him for an unknown reason, and Anthony Huber, who attempted to use his skateboard to strike Rittenhouse’s rifle out of his hands.
Rittenhouse also injured Gaige Grosskreutz, who was holding a pistol the night of the protests.
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