Hours after posting a video in which he denounced Donald Trump’s Second Amendment record and indicated he would not vote for Trump, Kyle Rittenhouse corrected himself and expressed confidence that Trump will be a strong 2A ally.
Breitbart News reported Rittenhouse’s criticism of Trump and his pledge to write-in Ron Paul for president.
Rittenhouse, the Outreach Director for Texas Gun Rights, said, “Unfortunately, Donald Trump had bad advisers, making him bad on the Second Amendment, and that is my issue.”
He added, “If you cannot be completely uncompromisable on the Second Amendment, I will not vote for you, and I will write somebody else in. We need champions for the Second Amendment or our rights would be eaten away and eroded each day. I support my decision and I have no takebacks.”
Texas Gun Rights reacted by “proudly” endorsing Donald Trump for president and warning gun owners not to sit on the sidelines in this election: “We need President Trump to protect our rights. We can’t allow Kamala Harris to win in November. Texas Gun Rights stands behind Donald Trump.”
Just over two hours after Texas Gun Rights endorsed Trump, Rittenhouse recanted his anti-Trump message, noting, in part, “My comments last night were ill-informed unproductive. I’m 100% behind Donald Trump and encourage every gun owner to join me in helping send him back to the White House.”
On May 18, 2024, Breitbart News attended Trump’s NRA speech in Dallas, where he stressed that it is time for “a great restoration of American freedom.”
He added, “Let there be no doubt, the survival of our Second Amendment is very much on the ballot. It’s under siege.”
Trump continued, “We need the Second Amendment for safety. Forget about going hunting and all the things you do — we need it for safety. Because you know the bad guys are not giving up their guns. The bad ones are not giving up their guns.”
He made clear his intention to use four more years in office to protect the Second Amendment for the American people.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio, a member of Gun Owners of America, and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010 and has a Ph.D. in Military History. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.