Kyle Rittenhouse Speaks Out After College Heckling

Kyle Rittenhouse has spoken out after being heckled by protesters on Wednesday, telling Newsweek that he stayed on stage for his scheduled time.

The 21-year-old was speaking at the University of Memphis in Tennessee when he was reportedly jeered off stage by activists. Protesters eventually chased him from the campus.

"Hey guys, so we just got back from being booed off stage from Memphis University," Rittenhouse said in a clip uploaded to X, formerly Twitter.

"I'm with Bryon, who was helping with my security today," he continued, pointing the camera toward his bodyguard. "A huge shout out to him and his team."

Rittenhouse described the articles written about the incident as "interesting," denying that he was heckled during his talk.

"In reality we did a hard cut-off time and just happened to leave at that," he said. "Great event, interesting people to say the least."

Since being shared, Rittenhouse's video has received over 359,000 views.

In a statement, Rittenhouse told Newsweek: "The event was scheduled for 30 minutes. I spoke for 30 minutes and then my security team told the coordinator that we were leaving after the question, and we left. I stayed for my scheduled time."

Newsweek has reached out to Turning Point USA and the University of Memphis via email and Instagram.

Rittenhouse made headlines in 2020 after he fatally shot two men and injured another during a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The demonstration was sparked after Jacob Blake, a Black man, was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot by police.

Rittenhouse pleaded self-defense, with his case dividing the nation. He was acquitted of all charges in 2021.

Rittenhouse was invited to speak at Wednesday's event by the university's Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter. Founded in 2012, the non-profit promotes conservative politics at schools and college campuses.

However, Rittenhouse struggled to give his speech due to interruptions from the audience, reportedly skipping ahead to the question and answer section.

One clip of Wednesday's event shared on X shows Rittenhouse addressing students while a group taunts him from their seats. Since being posted online, the footage has received over 1.8 million views.

Another video shows Rittenhouse walking off stage after being asked about TPUSA co-founder Charlie Kirk, with the clip racking up over 421,000 views.

Kirk has come under fire for his controversial statements, such as suggesting that children should watch public executions and saying that he'd question the credentials of Black airline pilots.

The crowd chanted "deflection" as Rittenhouse left the podium after refusing to share his thoughts on Kirk's remarks. More videos show Rittenhouse being chased from the college by protesters after leaving the venue.

Thursday's retort isn't the first time Rittenhouse has hit out at the press. In 2022, he started a fund to sue outlets he accuses of "lying" about him.

Rittenhouse is currently facing several legal battles of his own.

The families of Joseph Rosenbaum and Antony Huber—the two men killed by Rittenhouse—filed wrongful death lawsuits against him in 2023. Gage Grosskreutz, who was wounded in the shooting but survived, is also suing Rittenhouse for "emotional distress, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life, and other pain and suffering."

Update 03/21/24, 12:34 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.

Update 03/22/24, 03:37 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a statement from Kyle Rittenhouse. The headline was also updated.