Angela Rye is just one of many celebrities Candace Owens has tried to debate. (Photo by Theo Wargo / Getty Images)
Political analyst Angela Rye caught a case of selective memory loss on Wednesday when a Twitter user asked her to engage in a debate with right-wing provocateur Candace Owens.
The user, Iron Chef Ass N—a, told the CNN commentator how much he would love to see a debate between the two, but Rye quickly shut him down. The liberal attorney is known for her fiery on-air comebacks and deep knowledge of all things race and politics.
— NOT yo Cousin Angela (@angela_rye) July 11, 2018
The request comes just days after Owens, communications director for right-wing nonprofit Turning Point USA, challenged ESPN’s Jemele Hill to an on-air debate. The two engaged in a social media spat earlier this week after Owens accused Hill of being used by the Dems “to paralyze Blacks with undue fear.”
Racism is definitely profitable—on that we agree. It’s why Dems use people like you to continually speak about it.
The goal is to paralyze blacks with undue fear, keeping us enslaved to ideologies that continue to fail us.
Would love to discuss this w/ you on @RubinReport. https://t.co/0tfrjOnqMc— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) July 9, 2018
Owens added that she’d love to discuss the issue on The Rubin Report, which bills itself as “the largest talk show about free speech and big ideas on YouTube,” according to Fox News.
“ … If you truly believe what you believe, and your goal is to educate— then the greatest thing that we can do is to respectfully debate so that the many people that follow us can understand the source of our perspective,” she wrote in a follow-up tweet.
Hill refused to take the bait, however, writing, “I’m good luv, enjoy.”
I’m good luv. Enjoy. https://t.co/e8wNEa8F9e
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) July 9, 2018
Owens has a track record of trying to debate other celebrities, including actor Don Cheadle, commentator Jehmu Greene and activist Tamika D. Mallory. She seemed open to having a sit-down with Cheadle after he criticized her comments suggesting some Black Americans have “more emotion” about slavery and Jim Crow than their ancestors did living through it.
Owens was awfully quiet, however, when TV One journalist Roland Martin invited her to debate on his show.
Still waiting for @RealCandaceO Owens, @TPUSA's director of urban engagement, to engage Black media folks. Candace, when do you want to set up an interview? I know you do media. You seem to do @FoxNews a lot. My @tjmshow audience is bigger. And it's an urban morning radio show!
— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) April 2, 2018
On Wednesday, fans commended Rye for now falling for the okey-doke.
That would not be much of a debate. Candace means well. She is gullible when it comes to Trump. That is giving her the benefit of the doubt. Black people that praise Trump can’t be serious. His past actions show he does not care about blacks.
— byron kennedy (@byronkennedy1) July 11, 2018
Cousin Angela for the win! She’s all: pic.twitter.com/Ey0jYKvzLy
— DCDiva28 (@DCDiva28) July 11, 2018
Why do you idiots think that you can bully someone into participating in a debate? What would a debate prove or accomplish? Fox talking points getting yelled and repeated? Fuck that. I wouldn’t participate in that bullshit either.
— Serviceman85 (@Rudolph_Jordan) July 11, 2018
— Sir Lucky LeSaint (@1509lucky) July 11, 2018
