Right-wing hero Kyle Rittenhouse, who has gained added notoriety in conservative circles since his acquittal on homicide charges for fatally shooting two men at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year, is scheduled to speak at Turning Point USA’s Americafest conference this weekend.
The pro-Trump, conservative non-profit, which recruits and trains high school and college students to promote its ideology, confirmed that Rittenhouse will address the audience at its four-day conference in Phoenix.
The event is scheduled to begin on Saturday.
“HUGE NEWS! @ThisIsKyleR Is Now CONFIRMED To Speak At the Biggest, Greatest Freedom Party Ever!” TP USA tweeted.
Rittenhouse, who flew to meet former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Springs, Florida after a jury found the teen not guilty last month, also confirmed the news on Twitter Wednesday.
“I am excited to share that I will be speaking at AmFest!,” Rittenhouse tweeted.
The 18-year-old Rittenhouse is the latest addition to a long list of conservative celebrities and GOP leaders set to speak at the TP USA conference.
Others include Fox News pundits Tucker Carlson, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, and Judge Jeanine Pirro. Carlson’s Nov. 20 interview with Rittenhouse, three days after the teen’s acquittal, was watched by almost five million people.
Former Trump White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, Donald Trump Jr., and ex-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin are also on the TP USA Americafest lineup. Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga) are also scheduled to speak as well along with Blexit movement founder Candace Owens.
The polarizing Rittenhouse has become a villain among liberal Americans. Some believe he got away with murder. Last April, armed with an AR-15-style rifle, Rittenhouse drove roughly 21 miles from his home in Antioch, Illinois to Kenosha as demonstrators there protested the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Rittenhouse was confronted and chased by the men he fatally shot when protestors saw him with the weapon and believed he was a threat to the public.
His attorneys successfully argued that the teen fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz in self-defense. Grosskreutz testified during the trial that he and others suspected Rittenhouse was an active shooter before they attacked him.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!