Kyle Rittenhouse Draws Enthusiastic Crowd at Texas GOP Convention

As the early afternoon sun shone down, a long line at the Texas GOP convention stretched from the center of the exhibit floor to the lobby of San Antonio’s Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

But the crowd wasn’t gathered for the party’s household names, they were there to meet Kyle Rittenhouse.

Rittenhouse, who has become a prominent figure among Republicans and gun fanatics, hosted a meet-and-greet Thursday, organized by his employer, Texas Gun Rights. Rittenhouse gained national attention after he shot two people during chaotic protests in Wisconsin in the summer of 2020. He was eventually acquitted of homicide charges.

Among the first in line were Chris Haltom and his son, Joel Haltom, from Colleyville. Chris Haltom said it was their first time meeting Rittenhouse. They waited an hour in line but felt it was worth it, as reported by Yahoo News. “Well, for me it felt great,” said Joel Haltom said about meeting Rittenhouse. His father concurred. “It was great, yeah. Very nice guy.”Both received signed copies of Rittenhouse’s book, “Acquitted.”

Recently, Kyle Rittenhouse has been involved in controversy due to his remarks on Native Americans. After seeing a photograph of three Native American individuals giving a middle finger salute to Mount Rushmore, Rittenhouse reacted on social media with the comment, “then leave,” prompting widespread disapproval online.