Rittenhouse To Speak At Controversial Conservative Fest

PHOENIX, AZ — Kyle Rittenhouse will be speaking at a conservative festival in Phoenix.

Rittenhouse, 18, formerly of Illinois, will be one of a slew of speakers at conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2021, which will begin Saturday at the Phoenix Convention Center. Other controversial conservative commentators and legislators who will be speaking at the event include Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, Donald Trump Jr., U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-California) and U.S. Rep. Majorie Taylor Green (R-Georgia).

Last month, Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges in shooting of three people, two of whom died, during a protest against police violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

AmericaFest was described on its website as "the largest celebration of our constitutional rights and freedoms — featuring the best and brightest speakers in the country, dozens of like minded sponsoring organizations, thousands of freedom loving patriots, and the introduction of musical talent with a number of very special concerts."

AmericaFest 2021 will run Saturday through Tuesday, with tickets ranging from $40 to $750.

Some of the conference's sponsors include Fox Nation, The Heritage Foundation and Young Americans for Liberty.

Turning Point USA described as its mission "to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government. Turning Point USA believes that every young person can be enlightened to true free market values."

Some conservatives lauded Rittenhouse as a hero for coming to Kenosha in what he said was an effort to help protect businesses from looting. Rittenhouse shot three men during protests and riots that followed the Kenosha police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was left partially paralyzed.

Caitlin Sievers, Patch Staff, contributed to this article