Pundit and House candidate Burgess Owens has a trail of toxic anti-immigrant rhetoric and conspiracy theories

Written by Eric Hananoki

Published

An image of Burgess Owens

Right-wing commentator and Republican House nominee Burgess Owens has a history of pushing anti-immigrant rhetoric and conspiracy theories. Owens has claimed that the Democrats' goal is “stealing elections with the help of foreigners”; alleged that Democrats are focused on “settling … illegal foreigners” in the country so they can get votes; and attacked undocumented immigrants as invaders from “anti-American third world” countries.  

Owens is running for Congress in Utah’s 4th Congressional District. As a candidate, he has appeared on two separate QAnon-supporting programs. He also plagiarized numerous passages in his 2018 book Why I Stand. Additionally, he frequently promoted content from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, including an anti-Muslim smear against a Gold Star parent.

Owens has also repeatedly pushed virulently anti-immigrant rhetoric and conspiracy theories. 

In Owens’ telling, Democrats are focused on “settling … illegal foreigners” in the United States so they can vote for them. Additionally, Democrats have the goal of “stealing elections with the help of foreigners.” The conservative commentator also smeared and attacked the character of undocumented immigrants, whom he has referred to as “illegals” -- a dehumanizing and anti-immigrant slur. Owens has said that there’s an “invasion of foreigners from every anti-American third world nation around the world”; said that they “have more loyalty to the country they came from”; and attacked a migrant caravan in 2018 by saying people in that caravan have “arrogance, entitlement and pure ignorance of our culture.” 

Right-wing media personalities have regularly claimed that Democrats are importing undocumented immigrants so that they can be new voters for the party.   

In addition to his anti-immigrant rhetoric, Owens also participated in a fundraiser to build the wall between the border of the United States and Mexico. The Department of Justice recently charged the organizers of that fundraiser, We Build the Wall, of defrauding donors. 

The following are numerous examples of Owens pushing anti-immigrant rhetoric and conspiracy theories. 

Owens claimed that Democrats need “illegals” who “have no idea what our country’s about” and “will have more loyalty to the country they came from.” Owens appeared on the June 24 edition of The Wayne Dupree Podcast. Dupree is a right-wing commentator and a Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist. During that program, Owens stated: 

BURGESS OWENS: They [Democrats] now know that Black communities are walking away from this plantation, was sprinting away, was standing up boldly. And so they need to get new people in. Illegals, people have no idea what our country’s about, come here demanding that they are taken care of, will have more loyalty to the country they came from. 

Owens: The left's goal is “stealing elections with the help of foreigners.” In January 2019, Owens promoted an error-filled Townhall article to accuse the left of having the goal of “stealing elections with the help of foreigners.”

Owens claimed that Democrats are focused on “the successful settling, within our nation, of a new appreciative, dependent, and soon-to-be Democratic voter— illegal foreigners.” In a non-plagiarized portion of his book Why I Stand, Owens wrote: 

It is within the “at risk” population where, once again, can be found the Socialist globalist modus operandi to use, abuse, and discard. Consistently, and predictably, they prioritize the interests of the illegal foreign population. They neglect to address the high misery index of joblessness, illiteracy, crime, and the implosion of the family unit within the urban Black communities. Because of Democratic policies, they turn their energy and zeal to the promotion of open borders. With a narcissistic and unconscionable zeal, the Democratic Socialist/ Marxists opt to stake their entire political future on a new set of voters, the illegal (non-American) immigrant. With the help and cover of the first Black president, Barack Obama, and secession-minded Leftist-run states, all available federal and state resources have been prioritized to ensure the successful settling, within our nation, of a new appreciative, dependent, and soon-to-be Democratic voter— illegal foreigners. 

Owens: Democrats “need more illegal in and at the ballot box.”  

Owens wrote that there’s an “invasion of foreigners from every anti-American third world nation around the world, many of whom have no desire to assimilate into the American culture.” In another non-plagiarized portion of his book Why I Stand, Owens attacked undocumented immigrants, writing: 

They encourage the invasion of foreigners from every anti-American third world nation around the world, many of whom have no desire to assimilate into the American culture. Some enter the land of the free un-vetted and with a strong anti-American animus. These are the new inhabitants welcomed unabashedly by the Socialist/ Marxist Leftists in the Democratic Party.

Owens on migrant caravan: “Since when do we tolerate the arrogance of foreigners who threaten and DEMAND entry into our country. Arrogance, entitlement and pure ignorance of our culture is the absolute ‘last thing’ we need.” 

During his We Build the Wall appearance, Owens said that Democrats are bringing in “people who could care less about our country, do not understand the American way, have not learned our language, our culture.”