Kyle Rittenhouse has faced criticism from the Make America Great Again (MAGA) community for endorsing Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican critical of President Donald Trump within the GOP. Rittenhouse, known as a gun rights figure, was acquitted in 2021 after killing two individuals and injuring another at a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 25, 2020. On Friday, he expressed support for Massie in the Kentucky 4th Congressional District race, stating on X, “Volunteering for the greatest congressman.”
This backlash shows divisions in the MAGA movement, which have broadened during Trump’s second term. Figures like Tucker Carlson have parted ways with the movement over issues involving the U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran. High-profile MAGA and Trump supporters criticized Rittenhouse for his post. Vince Langman, a MAGA proponent, wrote, “Wow! Kyle Rittenhouse turned out to be a complete douchebag, we should’ve left him to the liberal wolves in 2020!” The right-wing account Catturd told its 4 million followers, “Remember when I warned everyone about him and everybody threw a fit years ago. It’s tiring being so right all the time.” YouTuber Joey Salads commented, “We made the wrong people famouse [sic].”
Massie has differed with Trump on foreign policy and the Department of Justice’s handling of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump has previously labeled Massie a “loser” and a “disloyal, ungracious, and sanctimonious FOOL.”
Rittenhouse Breaks with Trump Over Gun Rights
Rittenhouse withdrew from the MAGA movement in August 2024 after denouncing Trump’s presidential campaign, citing Trump’s stance on the Second Amendment. MAGA loyalists accused him of being “disloyal” and a “sellout.” Earlier this year, Rittenhouse and other gun rights advocates criticized Trump’s statements about Alex Pretti, a protester shot by federal agents in Minneapolis. Trump condemned Pretti for bringing a gun to a protest, stating, “I don’t like any shooting. I don’t like it. But I don’t like it when somebody goes into a protest and he’s got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also. That doesn’t play good either.”
In 2020, Trump said Rittenhouse, who was 17 when he went to Kenosha with a rifle and used it during protests, had “acted in self-defense” and “probably would have been killed.” Rittenhouse opposed comparisons to Pretti, claiming those drawing parallels aimed to “use his situation for rage bait and stoke the flame.” On January 26, following Pretti’s shooting and Trump’s remarks, Rittenhouse wrote on social media, “Carry everywhere. It is your right. #ShallNotBeInfringed.” He directly addressed Trump’s comments about Pretti’s weapon, a Sig Sauer P320 9mm pistol, sharing Trump’s critique, “Trump just NUKED Sig…”
Trump and Massie’s Ongoing Conflict
The history between Trump and Massie has been marked by conflict. Their initial clash occurred in March 2020 when Massie, a libertarian advocate, opposed a $2 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. Trump described him as a “third rate Grandstander” and urged Republicans to “throw Massie out” of the party. Nonetheless, their relationship improved, with Massie endorsing Trump’s campaign for the 2024 election, declaring, “Donald Trump will put Americans first by securing our liberties at home and preventing needless wars abroad. He will make America Healthy Again by empowering small farmers and taking on special interests that have corrupted our healthcare system.”
The situation escalated during Trump’s second term, leading multiple MAGA figures, including Candace Owens and former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia, to break with the movement. The split stemmed from issues like Trump’s management of Epstein-related documents, his support for Israel, and actions taken against Iran. Trump has endorsed Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, in the Republican primary for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, occurring on Tuesday. Massie, representing the district since 2012, aims for an eighth term.