On Tuesday, Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia introduced legislation that would award Kyle Rittenhouse, who was found not guilty of murder charges last week in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Congressional Gold Medal. The award is considered the “highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions” that can be bestowed by Congress.
Past recipients of the award include General George Washington, Naval Commander John Paul Jones, Major General Andrew Jackson, Major General Ulysses Grant, aviation pioneers the Wright Brothers, inventor Thomas Edison, entertainer Bob Hope, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
The last group of people to receive the award was the 369th Infantry of World War I, the “Harlem Hellfighters” — the first regiment of African-Americans deployed overseas during World War I. The award was also recently given to the United States Capitol Police and others who allegedly protected the Capitol against what Congress called “a mob of insurrectionists.”
Taylor Green introduced Rittenhouse for the award because he “protected the community of Kenosha, Wisconsin, during a Black Lives Matter (BLM) riot on August 25, 2020.”
It’s highly unlikely that the bill will garner much support in the Democrat-led Congress. The bill requires two-thirds support from both the House of Representatives and the Senate in order to pass.
“Kyle Rittenhouse deserves to be remembered as a hero who defended his community, protected businesses, and acted lawfully in the face of lawlessness. I’m proud to file this legislation to award Kyle Rittenhouse a Congressional Gold Medal,” Taylor Greene said in a statement.
Although Rittenhouse is unlikely to actually receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the 18-year-old from Antioch, Illinois, has received some high-level attention since he was acquitted on the ridiculous charges of murder against violent rioters who attacked him on the night of August, 25, 2020.
Rittenhouse has received offers of employment by two Republican congressmen. Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) and Representative Madison Cawthorne (R-N.C.) have both offered internships to the teenager.
Gaetz’s office joked about Taylor Greene’s legislation, telling the Washington Post, “We are concerned that awarding Kyle with a Congressional Gold Medal will give him a big head during the internship with our office.”
In addition to all of the congressional attention, Rittenhouse was honored by former President Donald Trump. Rittenhouse and his mother were treated to a visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence after his acquittal last week.
Trump spoke about Rittenhouse’s visit during an interview on Fox News’ Hannity program.
“Kyle, I got to know him a little bit. He called. He wanted to know if he could come over and say hello because he was a fan,” Trump said.
In the lead-up to the 2020 election, the current president — Joe Biden — hinted that Rittenhouse was a “white supremacist” for his actions during the violent and fire-filled Black Lives Matter riots in Kenosha in August of 2020.
After the jury found Rittenhouse not guilty of all charges, Biden released a statement saying he felt “angry and concerned” about the verdict.
“While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken,” Biden said.
While Representative Taylor Greene’s legislation is largely a publicity stunt certain to go nowhere in Congress, it’s good that young Rittenhouse is receiving some high-level attention after being correctly found not guilty in a Democrat show trial. After being slandered for over a year by Democrats, some Republicans, and an out-of-control mainstream media, the young man needs to be reassured that the nation, as a whole, does not hate him or even think that he did anything wrong on the streets of Kenosha last August.
