Kyle Rittenhouse Isn't a Fan of the Pope

Controversial killer Kyle Rittenhouse has become known as a divisive figure—and now he's calling out Pope Francis.

Rittenhouse, 20, rose to prominence when in August 2020, at the age of 17, he fatally shot two men—36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum and 26-year-old Anthony Huber—at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. A 26-year-old named Gaige Grosskreutz was also injured by Rittenhouse, who was using a semi-automatic AR-15-style assault rifle. He said the three shootings were in self-defense.

Rittenhouse's trial was divisive, with prosecutors portraying him as a "wannabe soldier" who had gone looking for trouble. However, on November 19, 2021, he was acquitted on all charges. The verdict was slammed as an injustice for those who died but others hailed it as a "moment of sanity."

In the years since, Rittenhouse has become a poster child of right-wing media. Now he's publicly shared his thoughts on Pop Francis, criticizing the religious leader for dining with transgender women.

On X, formerly Twitter, he liked a post from Taylor D. Rhodes, the executive director of the gun rights group Rocky Mountain Gun Owners. Rhodes retweeted a post from Fox News that read, "Pope Francis dines with transgender women for Vatican luncheon." He added: "The Pope is a liberal a**-hat."

On November 12, Pope Francis invited hundreds of poor and homeless people and migrants to the Vatican for the Catholic Church's "World Day of the Poor." Among them was a group of transgender women—many of whom are Latin American migrants and work as prostitutes—helped by the pope during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Rittenhouse didn't publicly comment on the November 23 tweet, he did like it from his X account.

Newsweek reached out to Rittenhouse for comment via social media on Thursday.

The 20-year-old is releasing a book titled Acquitted, which he has described as a "story of survival, resilience, and justice." He announcement the book on November 10, almost two years after he was acquitted on a string of charges regarding his fatal shooting of Rosenbaum and Huber. He took to social media accounts to share the cover of the book, as well as an insight as to what people can expect from its pages.

"Two years ago today, accused of unjust charges, I heard 'NOT GUILTY' five times over from a jury of my peers who heard the facts," he told his 1.1 million X followers.

"My case split the nation into opposing sides fueled by emotions, politics, and misconceptions driven by media and political figures. Today, I want you to learn the truth, and know the real and honest version of my story—without filters or an agenda."

The announcement of his book hasn't been without controversy, as during recent promotion for it, Rittenhouse seemingly took pleasure in a joke in which he was said to always hit his target.

The 20-year-old was speaking with alt-right political activist Jack Posobiec on the podcast Human Events Daily when Posobiec said: "What can I say, folks? When Kyle Rittenhouse takes aim, he always hits his target."

Rittenhouse could be seen laughing and smirking for a brief moment before pulling an awkward face as Posobiec continued to ask him questions about the book.

There was also backlash when the book was originally announced, with people online calling it "repulsive" and "sickening."

"I just don't understand how anyone can milk the deaths of two people for every dime they can get," one person wrote on X.

Rittenhouse has also had his supporters, with one social media user writing: "Outstanding brother!! You're one of my heroes dude."