This trend largely remained relegated to the extreme right until last summer, when 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse allegedly shot and killed two people during protests against police shootings in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Suddenly, those in the mainstream right had a figure to rally behind, since his actions could be explained away as self-defense, said Ari Ben-Am, an extremism researcher and information operations analyst for ActiveFence, an online security firm that detects hate speech, terrorism and disinformation.

Republican politicians openly praised Rittenhouse, with Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky saying he “exhibited incredible restraint and presence and situational awareness,” and state Rep. Anthony Sabatini of Florida tweeting, inexplicably, “Kyle Rittenhouse for Congress.” Far-right groups like the Proud Boys (self-proclaimed “Western chauvinists”) have stated they support Rittenhouse’s case and “are rooting for him. He has become an American hero and we look forward to celebrating his exoneration with a beer.” Among the more mainstream right online, such as the pro-Trump message board patriots.win, posters have been carefully following Rittenhouse’s trial and celebrating his actions, calling him “Saint Kyle”1 and a “hero,” and making comments such as “Every freedom loving American should be thrilled that this young man was able to defend himself and not become a victim to the mob.”

“Rittenhouse was the first one to break the barrier of mainstream popularity and support,” Ben-Am said. “He was viewed by both the far-right and the mainstream right as a martyr for the cause, though the mainstream right didn’t really know how to articulate that.”