Donald Trump, Conservative Media, Beach: Kyle Rittenhouse's Post-Trial Tour

Kyle Rittenhouse said he just wanted to be "a normal 18-year-old kid" after he was acquitted on all charges stemming from his killing of two men and wounding of a third in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020.

"I'm hoping I can live a quiet, stress-free life and be free of any intimidation or harassment and just go on with my life as a normal 18-year-old kid attending college," he told Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Far from resuming the life of a typical teenager, however, Rittenhouse met with former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida just days after the acquittal in November.

"He called. He wanted to know if he could come over and say hello because he was a fan," Trump told another Fox News host, Sean Hannity.

"I don't want to get involved in politics at all," Rittenhouse said during another interview last month, adding that he wasn't planning to accept any of the internships offered to him by Republican lawmakers.

Despite indications that he wanted to avoid becoming a poster boy for conservatives, Rittenhouse has continued his post-trial tour of conservative media.

He gave his first television interview to Carlson on Fox News and, on Wednesday, spoke with Glenn Beck. Rittenhouse told Beck he wanted to sit down with President Joe Biden to "have a conversation with him and tell him the facts of what happened."

The teenager also said he had been admitted to Arizona State University and was planning to attend classes in person despite student protests.

The same day, Rittenhouse appeared on the podcast of conservative political commentator Steven Crowder and spoke about wanting to start dating again.

Rittenhouse said he was looking for someone "that just wants to, like, date me for who I am" before describing his own physical preferences.

The teenager has also returned to social media, with new accounts on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

His first posts on Instagram and TikTok introduced followers to his service dog, Milo. "Kyle's best friend is his service dog, Milo," said the caption to a video of Rittenhouse with the dog. "Kyle and Milo first met on a cold, snowy day in January—they have been inseparable ever since. For nearly a year, Milo has been a source of unconditional love, strength and security for Kyle."

According to his Instagram, Rittenhouse recently went on vacation to Puerto Rico.

"Milo and I took a much needed vacation in Puerto Rico last week," he wrote alongside a picture of the pair on a beach. "I cannot wait to come back again soon!"

Rittenhouse's team has been contacted for comment.

His trial attracted national attention, becoming a flashpoint in the debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice in the U.S.

The teenager was acquitted of charges of homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangering after shooting three men with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle during a night of unrest over the case of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot and injured by a white police officer.

Rittenhouse, then 17, said he had traveled from his home in nearby Antioch, Illinois, to protect property from rioters, but feared for his life when he came under attack.

The Kenosha protest happened during a summer of unrest triggered by the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer and other cases of police violence against Black people.

Correction: 12/10/21, 12:20 p.m. ET: This article was updated to clarify that Jacob Blake was shot and injured, not killed, in 2020.