Kyle Rittenhouse Faces MAGA Backlash for Supporting Thomas Massie

Kyle Rittenhouse has drawn criticism from the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement due to his endorsement of Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican known for his criticism of former President Donald Trump within the GOP. Rittenhouse, praised by MAGA supporters as a defender of gun rights, was found not guilty in 2021 after shooting two people dead and injuring another during a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 25, 2020.

On Friday, Rittenhouse declared his support for Massie in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District race by posting on X, “Volunteering for the greatest congressman.” This move has highlighted divisions within the MAGA movement, which have deepened during Trump’s second term. Prominent MAGA figures, including Tucker Carlson, have parted ways with the movement due to issues like U.S. and Israel’s conflicts with Iran and other Trump administration policies.

Rittenhouse’s endorsement has faced criticism from several MAGA and Trump-aligned accounts. Vince Langman, identifying as MAGA “deplorable,” expressed disappointment by saying, “Wow! Kyle Rittenhouse turned out to be a complete douchebag, we should’ve left him to the liberal wolves in 2020!” Additionally, popular right-wing account Catturd remarked to its 4 million followers about being “right all the time,” while YouTuber Joey Salads acknowledged, “We made the wrong people famouse [sic].”

“Massie has stood against Trump on issues like foreign policy and the handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein by the Department of Justice,” the article notes.

Previously, Trump labeled Massie a “loser” and “disloyal, ungracious, and sanctimonious FOOL.”

Rittenhouse and Trump’s Second Amendment Disagreement

Before supporting Massie, Rittenhouse distanced himself from the MAGA movement, upsetting members in August 2024 by stating he would not support Trump’s presidential campaign, citing Trump’s “bad on the Second Amendment.” MAGA supporters labeled him a “disloyal” and a “sellout.”

Earlier in the year, Rittenhouse criticized the Trump administration’s stance on Alex Pretti, a protester fatally shot in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents. Trump had criticized Pretti for taking a gun to protest, stating, “I don’t like any shooting. 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.”

Rittenhouse, previously described by Trump as having “acted in self-defense” in Kenosha, rejected comparisons to Pretti, accusing others of using his “situation for rage bait.” On January 26, shortly after Pretti’s shooting and Trump’s comments in The Wall Street Journal, Rittenhouse tweeted, “Carry everywhere. It is your right. #ShallNotBeInfringed.” He also addressed Trump’s description of Pretti’s Sig Sauer P320 pistol as “dangerous,” sarcastically commenting, “Trump just NUKED Sig…”

The Trump-Massie Relationship

The relationship between Trump and Massie has been rocky. Their first major clash was in March 2020 when Massie opposed a $2 trillion COVID-19 relief package. Trump labeled him a “third rate Grandstander” and encouraged Republicans to “throw Massie out.” Despite this, Massie endorsed Trump’s campaign during the 2024 presidential election.

Massie had stated in October 2024, “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 two have clashed over Trump’s second-term policies, leading to several MAGA supporters, such as Candace Owens and Marjorie Taylor Greene, breaking away from the movement. These tensions arose due to the Trump administration’s handling of Epstein files, his support for Israel, and military strikes against Iran. In the Republican primary for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, Trump supports former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein. Massie, seeking an eighth term, has represented the district since 2012.