In her first podcast episode after what she described as a 4.5-hour conversation with Erika Kirk, conservative podcaster Candace Owens stated Tuesday that she nonetheless doesn’t imagine that the person charged with murder for Charlie Kirk’s death is solely accountable.
Erika Kirk’s efforts to tamp down on hypothesis about her husband’s homicide haven’t appeared to dissuade Owens, one of many nation’s most-watched personalities, who has seen her prominence develop whereas boosting conspiracy theories and antisemitic tropes about Charlie Kirk’s death.
Owens stated Tuesday that her suspicions about sure workers at Turning Point USA, the conservative organizing group Kirk co-founded and the place she as soon as labored, hadn’t been assuaged by her meeting with Erika Kirk and different Turning Point staffers. Owens closely implied that she believes Israel had one thing to do with Kirk’s death, selling an unsubstantiated principle that Israeli officials have denied and that a few of her critics say is proof that she is boosting antisemitism.
Owens’ marketing campaign following Kirk’s September 10 assassination has pushed deep divisions throughout the MAGA influencer world. Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and comic Dave Smith have all defended her to a point, whereas Tim Pool and Ben Shapiro have each described Owens’ actions as “evil,” and Nick Fuentes has stated she’s a narcissist hurting America.
Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with aggravated homicide in Kirk’s death, and authorities have stated bullet casings from the taking pictures have been inscribed with web and online game memes, together with, “Hey fascist! Catch!” Prosecutors have also released textual content messages between Robinson and his roommate through which Robinson says he shot Kirk as a result of he “had enough of his hatred.” Robinson has not but entered a plea.
Owens has as an alternative advised France, Israel and Egypt may need been concerned; that Charlie Kirk was “betrayed” by folks near him; and that state and federal regulation enforcement are protecting up a much bigger crime.
By Owens’ retelling, Erika Kirk got here ready to debunk a few of Owens’ claims, bringing cellphone data and having Owens communicate to a lawyer to elucidate how the investigation would proceed via courtroom. But Owens stated Turning Point didn’t have any inside info on the investigation and no entry to unseen proof.
“With that in mind, I’m saying why is the public being gaslit on this?” Owens stated. She known as the proof offered within the police affidavit “fake and gay,” one in all her catchphrases.
Erika Kirk has not commented on their meeting past a put up Monday evening on X through which she stated “a very productive conversation” with Owens and was turning her consideration to AmericaFest, a signature Turning Point occasion scheduled to characteristic a number of prime officers in President Donald Trump’s administration and conservative influencers.
In earlier interviews, Owens’ concentrating on of Turning Point workers was one of many essential objections Erika Kirk raised to Owens’ “investigation.” Kirk said on Fox News last week, “Call me what you want. Go down that rabbit hole, whatever. But when you go after my family, my Turning Point USA family, my Charlie Kirk show family, when you go after the people that I love, and you’re making hundreds and thousands of dollars every single episode going after the people that I love, because, somehow, they’re in on this? No.”
If her purpose was to get Owens to cease doing that, it seems to have been unsuccessful. And three days after CBS aired a city corridor through which Erika Kirk famous that she and Charlie Kirk had visited and admired Israel, Owens opened her episode with a sarcastic intro that started, “OK everybody, Shabbat Shalom.” She changed her typical theme music with a rendition of “Hava Nagila,” the Jewish folks music.
One of Owens’ most outlandish claims is that Erika Kirk was being adopted by Egyptian airplanes for years. On CBS, Erika Kirk disputed the declare that she and the Egyptian planes had been in the identical place on the identical time.
“If you want to go through my flight log, go right ahead. It’s very boring. You say I was here on this date. I have a photo on my phone to prove that I actually was in the hospital because I was having contractions,” Kirk stated.
That folks have mocked the Egyptian aircraft principle is barely proof that it’s true, Owens stated. “I know why these planes have caused such panic, and it is because there is overwhelming evidence that these planes regularly fly in and out of Israel. … Tomorrow I will show you how these planes tie back to Israel, and there’s no disproving this.”
Owens’ unfounded theories have generated an viewers, and people who depend on social media algorithms have acknowledged that, implicitly or explicitly. Hours earlier than Owens’ podcast aired on Tuesday, Megyn Kelly claimed on her own podcast that it was she who introduced Kirk and Owens collectively. “I have been working behind the scenes to try to foster a day between them,” Kelly stated. “I really fully believe God’s role for me here is to possibly play a role in getting this whole thing to a better place.”
She additionally famous, “I love the Turning Point guys. And I don’t believe for one second any of them had anything to do with Charlie’s murder.”
Owens advised her viewers she would by no means promote out. But lots of her followers within the YouTube feedback have been indignant, having anticipated a showdown with Erika Kirk that will have created extra fireworks.
“The best part of this episode is the comments as they validate my deflation,” one stated.
“How disappointing, we’ll never know the truth.. she said so much and absolutely NOTHING at the same time,” wrote one other.