Two years after he was acquitted of murdering two people during a police shooting protest in 2020, a strategist claims Kyle Rittenhouse looks to be preparing the ground to enter politics.
Democratic strategist Max Burns says a new book by Rittenhouse, published this week and titled "Acquitted," is less about sharing his experience — and more about Republicans trying to launch him into a political career.
Burn says a recent Rittenhouse appearance with Tucker Carlson and his palling around with GOP "money men" shows he "appears to be already preparing the country for an eventual political debut."
"Rittenhouse’s new memoir isn’t a desperate attempt to remain relevant. It’s more like the opening charge of a well-funded public relations campaign designed to build Rittenhouse’s personal brand into a political powerhouse," Burns writes.
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Rittenhouse was found not guilty of murder in 2020 after he shot three men, killing two, as outraged Kenosha, Wisconsin, citizens protested the police shooting of Jacob Blake. He famously wept at his trial.
Rittenhouse had been among a group of armed people who said they were there to protect businesses from the protesters.
Former Illinois GOP Rep. Joe Walsh told Burns that, ever since the shootings, Rittenhouse "has been on a quest to stay as relevant as he can, and there’s no doubt he appeals to a big part of the Republican base."
“From day one, he’s been totally used by people on the right to raise money and get constituencies fired up. He’s making money putting his face out there for MAGA causes," Walsh said.
But even without the Republican support, Rittenhouse is proving himself to be a "political animal," evidenced by his endorsement of a handful of failed far-right primary challenges to incumbent Republican lawmakers like state Rep. Lynn Stucky and U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales.
Though, at 20, he's too young to run for Congress, Burns says he could be eyeing state politics — specifically in Texas.
"Suddenly Rittenhouse is everywhere in Texas Republican politics, and he has the money to make a real impact," writes Burns.
Read the full op-ed over at MSNBC.