Kyle Rittenhouse Reemerges Online After Alex Pretti’s Killing

After the death of Alex Pretti at the hands of federal immigration officers, social media users turned to Kyle Rittenhouse as a reference point in debates over armed civilians and law enforcement actions. Mr. Rittenhouse, who arrived armed with an AR-15-style rifle at a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest and was later found not guilty of charges of intentional homicide after shooting three protesters and killing two, has long been celebrated on the right as a symbol of Second Amendment rights, supporters say.

Those on the left have posted images of Mr. Rittenhouse to highlight what they call hypocrisy from conservatives and administration officials who rushed to call Mr. Pretti a “domestic terrorist.” Conservatives and MAGA influencers, meanwhile, have invoked Mr. Rittenhouse as an example of how to interact with police, including posts reading “Be Like Kyle” and comments such as Jack Posobiec’s “Do not fight with police while armed.” Democratic politicians have also referenced Mr.

Rittenhouse: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez mentioned him when criticizing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s comment calling Mr. Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries described Mr. Rittenhouse as an “armed vigilante” once lauded by “Trump and Far-Right extremists.” Mr.

Rittenhouse, now 23, accused Mr. Jeffries on X of using his name “as rage bait” to “stoke the flames,” and did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this article.

Key Topics

Politics, Kyle Rittenhouse, Alex Pretti, I.c.e, Donald Trump, Kristi Noem