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Andrea Austria / Media Matters

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Right-wing and far-right media throw their support behind Candace Owens amid her antisemitism and departure from Daily Wire

White nationalists and other far-right figures like Stew Peters, Andrew Torba, and Nick Fuentes also praised Owens and pushed antisemitic rhetoric

Written by Camden Carter & Jack Winstanley

Published

Several right-wing and far-right media figures are standing behind Candace Owens following her departure from The Daily Wire, which followed months of her increasingly antisemitic rhetoric and public clashes with colleagues. Some far-right figures — including white supremacists, manosphere influencers, and others — have also taken the opportunity to both declare their support for Owens and make even more antisemitic comments.

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  • Owens parted ways with the Daily Wire following her increasingly antisemitic rhetoric

    • Following Owens’ escalating antisemitic rhetoric, Daily Wire co-founder Jeremy Boreing announced, “Daily Wire and Candace Owens have ended their relationship.” While no additional details for the separation were given, Owens has publicly disagreed with Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro over the proportionality of Israel’s response to the October 7 attack. She has also repeatedly attacked Jewish people in recent months — suggesting that there is a Jewish “gang” in Hollywood committing “horrific things,” warning that “Jews are going to be blamed” if TikTok is banned, and railing against “D.C. Jew[s]” and a “rot” in the Jewish community. Owens also “liked” a post on X (formerly Twitter) that asked a rabbi she has been feuding with whether he is “drunk on Christian blood again.” [Twitter/X, 3/22/24; Rolling Stone, 11/15/23, 3/22/24; Media Matters, 3/22/24]
    • Owens has a history of pushing anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and conspiracy theories, including on her Daily Wire show. She has previously made outlandish claims like saying that Hollywood “was created by the CIA” and compared vaccine outreach programs to “a child predator” and “Hitler youth programs.” Owens has also attacked LGBTQ people, including in one instance where she made the claim that “there are freaks, predators, and pedophiles that are all hiding under the LGBT flag.” [Media Matters, 3/22/24] 
    • White supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes celebrated Owens’ recent comments targeting Jewish people: “She has been in a full-fledged war against the Jews.” He went on to say Owens has gone “full 88,” a reference to a white supremacist code for “Heil Hitler.” [Media Matters, 3/20/24, Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed 3/25/24]
    • Following the announcement of Owens' departure from the Daily Wire, Owens posted that she is “finally free” and urged her followers to support her elsewhere. She has referenced the controversy surrounding her departure in several posts, mocking a rabbi and reiterating that “Christ is King” — something she first said during disagreements with Shapiro in the fall and has since used to justify antisemitic rhetoric. [Twitter, 3/22/24, 3/24/24, 3/24/24, 3/25/24; Mediaite, 11/14/23, 3/25/24]

  • Right-wing and far-right media figures have defended and supported Owens amid her antisemitic comments and split from the Daily Wire

    • Fuentes, who has praised Owens for her recent comments, also expressed immediate support for her after her departure from the Daily Wire. Fuentes posted, “Reply to this and tell DailyWire that we stand with Candace!!!” On his show, Fuentes also declared, “Team Candace,” and praised her for believing in Jesus and being “in a normal marriage with kids.” [Telegram, 3/22/24; Media Matters, 3/20/24; America First, 3/22/24]
    • Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk said on his show that “Candace Owens remains a great friend.” He went on to whitewash her antisemitic statements, saying, “She definitely has expressed some heterodox opinions on Israel and on Gaza. ... You know, all these articles, Candace Owens is a Jew hater, Candace Owens is an antisemite. That's repulsive to say. You don't know Candace Owens. See, I do.” [Real America’s Voice, The Charlie Kirk Show, 3/22/24]
    • On X, the Turning Point USA account posted an image of Owens walking onto a stage with the caption, “Walking into the weekend like.” [Twitter/X, 3/22/24]
  • A screenshot of a Tweet from TPUSA
    • Right-wing internet show host Benny Johnson also expressed support for Owens. Johnson claimed that “there is no one in the movement more *fearless*” than Owens and wished her “Godspeed.” [Twitter/X, 3/22/24] 
    • Right-wing manosphere streamer Sneako congratulated Owens on “freeing” herself from the “Israeli Wire.” Sneako also referred to Daily Wire as a Zionist platform. [Media Matters, 3/13/24; Twitter/X, 3/24/24]
    • Fuentes follower and streamer Chief Trumpster posted “I stand with @RealCandaceO.” [Twitter/X, 3/22/24]
    • A right-wing X account called AF Post shared Owens’ post about her departure from the Daily Wire, urged followers to “support her journalism” and linked to her website. [Media Matters, 12/6/23; Twitter/X, 3/22/24]

  • White nationalists, manosphere influencers, and other far-right figures have pushed antisemitic rhetoric while defending Owens

    • Bigoted far-right commentator Stew Peters invoked a commonly used antisemitic euphemism in defending Owens, writing, “@RealCandaceO FIRED from Daily Wire for NOTICING.” Peters also expressed interest in working with Owens, saying, “Candace Owens, give me a call. You're more than welcome on the Stew Peters network." [Twitter/X, 3/22/24; Right Wing Watch, 3/25/24]
  • A screenshot of a post from Stew Peters
    • MMA fighter and right-wing personality Jake Shields questioned if “fellow Catholics” and Daily Wire hosts Matt Walsh and Michael Knowles will defend Owens’ “right to disagree with a rabbi or are they only in it for the Shekels?” Shields continued, “It's pathetic that a black woman has more courage than two white men.” [Twitter/X, 3/22/24]
    • QAnon influencer Liz Crokin used Owens’ separation from the Daily Wire to rehash the Pizzagate conspiracy theory and to echo claims that “Israel controls Conservative media.” Crokin wrote, “For the obvious reasons, Israel can’t have the truth about Pizzagate coming out. Furthermore, Israel is a safe haven for pedophiles.” [Twitter/X, 3/25/24] 
    • Far-right commentator Evan Kilgore claimed that Owens was being “canceled” for “speaking out against the Jews.” He also claimed that this “serves to show EVERYONE in the Christian/Right-Wing political commentary space that Israel/Zionism has truly infiltrated our movement and that anyone who speaks against it will be blacklisted.” In another post, Kilgore said Owens has “broken free from the Zionist controlled Daily Wire,” adding, “Christ is King” — a phrase Owens has used to justify her antisemitic rhetoric. [Twitter/X, 3/22/24, 3/22/24; Media Matters, 1/26/24; Mediaite, 11/14/23, 3/25/24]
    • Fuentes used antisemitic rhetoric to repeatedly attack right-wing figures who have spoken out against Owens. After Owens’ split from Daily Wire, Fuentes declared in a stream that he is “going to side with Candace Owens” before he attacked Jewish right-wing media personality Dave Rubin, who has spoken out against Owens, saying, “He's loyal to Israel, doesn't believe in Jesus. He's a pervert that had kids created through surrogacy. Fuck him. Team Candace.” In a Telegram post, Fuentes referred to National Pulse editor-in-chief Raheem Kassam as “literally a Jew slave.” Fuentes also called right-wing media figure Will Chamberlain a “ZioJew.” [America First, 3/23/24; Telegram, 3/22/24]
    • Fuentes claimed that Owens was “canceled” by organizations and individuals that work to “advance the interest of Israel and World Jewry.” [Telegram, 3/22/24]
    • Andrew Torba, the notoriously antisemitic founder of the social media platform Gab, said, “We must stand with her against these wicked and evil people.” Torba claimed that an “assault on Christianity” is underway and that “Red state governors are doing it at the behest of their Jewish donors.“ He compared himself to Owens, saying that they are both “relentlessly attacked for it because we are over target.” [Gab, 3/22/24; Business Insider, 10/23/22]