Audacity or Hypocrisy? Kyle Rittenhouse Calling for Life Sentence for Karmelo Anthony

Kyle Rittenhouse is once again at the center of controversy, this time for his take on the tragic Texas stabbing case involving 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony.

Rittenhouse, who became infamous for fatally shooting two men and injuring another during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 2020 — a case in which he claimed self-defense and was later acquitted — took to X (formerly Twitter) to weigh in on the Texas incident.

In a  tweet, he wrote:

“Karmelo Anthony deserves life in prison.”

The tweet, which quickly went viral, triggered swift backlash online. Many users were quick to point out the audacity and perceived hypocrisy in Rittenhouse’s statement

The case Rittenhouse commented on involves Karmelo Anthony, a high school student who fatally stabbed peer Austin Metcalf during a dispute over seating at a UIL District track meet in Frisco, Texas. According to reports, Karmelo was asked to leave the Memorial High School tent, which led to a tense confrontation. Austin allegedly pushed Karmelo, who then pulled a knife and stabbed him in the chest. Austin tragically died shortly after.

Karmelo admitted to the stabbing but claimed self-defense, citing Texas laws that allow for the use of deadly force if the person reasonably believes it’s necessary to prevent death or serious injury. However, whether Karmelo’s actions met that legal threshold remains the central issue in the case.

Adding fuel to the already intense debate are issues of race and justice. Karmelo, a Black teenager, and Austin, a White teen, have become symbols in a national conversation about race, self-defense, and the criminal justice system. The incident has spurred misinformation, threats, and emotional responses.

Karmelo’s mother, Kala Hayes, has publicly defended her son and asked for a fair trial, while Austin’s family insists the case has nothing to do with race and should not be politicized.

Still, with Karmelo now out on bail and awaiting trial, the court of public opinion continues to battle over his fate — and Rittenhouse’s tweet has only intensified the division.

For many, Rittenhouse’s involvement feels not just tone-deaf, but deeply offensive. After all, he himself benefited from self-defense laws and was acquitted despite killing two people.

As the case moves forward in Texas courts, the tragic loss of life remains at the heart of this heartbreaking story. Yet, Rittenhouse’s inflammatory remarks have only added more pain to an already raw situation.