Exonerated of murder charges by a jury verdict last month, Kyle Rittenhouse offered a warning to media outlets that portrayed him unsympathetically in the aftermath of the August 2020 shooting during a riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin with a stern warning, during a conservative conference in Phoenix, according to WGN News.
“There’s going to be some media accountability coming soon,” Rittenhouse told Fox News, as he appeared at the AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Ariz.
His prediction is not without precedent. NBC, CNN and the Washington Post all reached out-of-court settlements with Nicholas Sandmann, the teen from Kentucky who was criticized following his confrontation with Native American activist Nathan Phillips at a March for Life rally in Washington, D.C., according to the New York Post. Sandmann and fellow students from Covington Catholic High School were at the Lincoln Memorial when Phillips began beating on a ceremonial drum, the New York Post recalled. It was an in-your-face moment with Sandmann remaining still while smiling and wearing a Donald Trump “Make America Great Again” cap.
Sandmann hasn’t said how much he collected from the media giants, but it is believed to be a tidy sum.
In Rittenhouse’s case, speculation has been rampant since the jury announced its verdict that the 18-year-old could collect heavily if he decides to file lawsuits.
Criticism of Rittenhouse hasn’t disappeared. Writing at NBC online, Ashley Pratte Oates, communications strategist and board member, Republican Women for Progress, ripped his appearance at the conservative forum Monday.
“Rittenhouse’s invitation to this pro-Trump conference goes a step further,” she said. “In this political climate, exalting him fans the flames of vigilantism.”
Republican Women for Progress makes it known at their website they are not affiliated with the Republican Party. Perhaps not surprisingly, Oates takes a dig at Rittenhouse and the GOP by observing, “The GOP will likely continue to use him on the campaign trail or for political gain until he’s no longer useful to their agenda.”
For his part, Rittenhouse appeared to be enjoying his appearance, indicating he wants to attend college in the spring. According to Fox News, the teen says he deserves an education “like anybody else.”
Rittenhouse maintained he fired in self-defense when he fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum, 36 and Anthony Huber, 26. He wounded Gaige Grosskreutz in the arm.
As noted by Fox News, Rittenhouse has not announced any lawsuits against media “heavyweights.”
