Candace Owens ignited a firestorm over the weekend after posting a video in which she made inflammatory remarks about Israel, claiming, among other things, that Zionists are not the original Jews but are actually demon worshipers — leading to an uproar over her promotion of anti-Semitic conspiracies.
In the videotaped talk, the far-right Black commentator unleashed a tirade of claims against Israel and criticized fellow conservative commentators for what she called their hypocrisy in staying silent about issues like Israel allegedly protecting child predators and sex abusers.
Even conservatives were outraged by the incendiary remarks, with some calling for Owens to be banned from social media.
The controversy was not limited to Israel, as many voices on social media pointed out that there wasn’t nearly as much reaction and backlash when Owens made disturbing comments about Black people, particularly when she sought to label George Floyd as a thug following his brutal murder at the hands of the Minneapolis police in 2020.
“Interesting. I don’t recall anyone getting this triggered when Candace was dunking on blacks,” wrote X user @Awakeartistk.
Never one to shy away from criticism, 35-year-old Owens responded in a repost, stating, “No. That was always allowed and encouraged,” implying that she was expected to criticize Black people as part of her role at The Daily Wire over the past three years.
“And you did it with no remorse or redress,” wrote @mcfarland_brody.
(For context, Owens joined The Daily Wire in 2021 as the host of her own political talk show, “Candace.” However, she was fired in March, after a series of comments perceived as antisemitic, which escalated tensions with co-host Ben Shapiro amid the Israel-Hamas war.)
Last year, while still at the Daily Wire, Owens intensified her opposition to Juneteenth after she posted a statement mocking the new federal holiday, tweeting: “Juneteenth is still ghetto and made up. Hope everyone enjoys it!”
After receiving blowback, Owens took aim at Black people whom she accused of “crying racism.”
Owens, a firebrand provocateur with more than 5.4 million social media followers, returned to her usual anti-Semitic exploits on Aug. 17 when she co-hosted an independent X Spaces broadcast titled “The Truth About Zionism.”
The videotaped rant was nothing less than a full-on attack against Israel, filled with allegations that led many to accuse Owens of spreading “Nazi propaganda” and “blood libel.”
By Monday, Owens’ video talk on X had garnered 1.6 million views, with several million additional views from those who shared it.
“Truly incredible,” she posted two days later on X. “Our conversation seems to have ripped a hole through the universe and reduced the establishment to ad hominem attacks. Thank you to the thousands of people who have signed up to support my work on locals! Many more ‘forbidden’ convos to come.”
More than a few people supported Owens — like @BelieverMindset, who wrote, “Candace always speaks the truth!” — but the overall reaction was hostile, with a torrent of condemnation flooding in from every corner of the Internet.
“Nothing to be proud of being one of the most disgusting antisemites out there,” wrote @VividProwess. “You are becoming more and more Neo-Nazi as the days go by. You are pathetic and embarrassing. You’re on the wrong side of history, no matter what your depraved mind thinks.”
Following the segment, some of her main critics demanded that social media moderators censor Owens, prompting her to respond defiantly.
“I don’t know who needs to hear this but…demanding I get censored, mass reporting my YouTube account, harassing family members and work colleagues, plus launching smears is sort of, kind of, maybe proving my exact point,” she posted Monday, signing off with four crying-laughing emojis.
During the show, Owens alleged that Israel was providing refuge for Jewish pedophiles fleeing justice in the United States. She also criticized fellow conservative commentators for turning a blind eye to what she described as “Israel protecting pedophiles.”
If that wasn’t enough, Owens also implied — without a shred of evidence — that Israel was linked to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Owens, who in 2019 was described as “the new face of Black conservatism” by The Washington Post, boldly asserted that modern-day Israel was founded by the Rothschilds to serve as a safe haven for pedophiles.
“Your nation is being held hostage by a foreign power,” she claimed in the segment.
Owens, also known for her pro-Trump activism, made the comments as the Israel-Hamas war is approaching its 11th month, with a wave of pro-Palestinian protests and sentiments gripping the United States since the conflict began on Oct. 7.
Other detractors accuse Owens of insinuating if not explicitly stating, that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, citing a recent post on X in which she wrote, “So it’s been confirmed Israel is raping and torturing Palestinian detainees — why are Christians silent on this? I’ll tell you why.”
As one of the most outspoken conservative voices in the country, Owens is no stranger to controversy and has consistently targeted the character of her own community rather than uplifting Black people.
In the past, Owens has argued that Black people have a “victim mentality” and that police brutality and the fatal shootings of Black people aren’t based on racism but occur when officers feel threatened — a view widely praised in conservative media. At the time of Floyd’s murder in 2020, she went out of her way to claim that a police officer is much more likely to be killed by a Black person than the other way around, citing statistics.
Owens went a step further, establishing a GoFundMe for Michael Dykes, an Alabama restaurant owner whose disrespectful and insensitive text messages about Floyd in 2020 surfaced online and prompted a boycott of his business.
“Mr Floyd was a thug, didn’t deserve to die but honoring a thug is irresponsible,” Dykes wrote in one of the texts.
Owens was so moved by the man’s plight that she set up a GoFundMe page that raised $205,000 for Dykes before the website scuttled the fundraiser due to “a repeated pattern of inflammatory statements that spread hate, discrimination, intolerance and falsehoods against the black community at a time of profound national crisis.”
At the time, Owens posted a short video to her social media pages to explain her position on the matter.
“I don’t care WHAT George Floyd did. The officer should have never treated him like that and killed him! But we still must ask: Is he a hero….The fact that he has been held up as a martyr sickens me.”
When outrage erupted over the comments about Floyd, Owens was unapologetic.
“I’ve had time to reflect on my video about #GeorgeFloyd and you guys were right — I was very wrong. He went to prison 9 times, not 7. I missed two earlier convictions for theft and drugs.”
After four years, and in the middle of a new controversy, Black voices let Owens know they hadn’t forgotten her disdain for the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as her negative stance on other critical Black issues.
“I’m glad you finally admitted there is a concerted agenda/effort from your side to put down Black ppl. You all practically foam at the mouth and clamor for it. Can’t wait to hate some Black ppl. Even insert talking about Black ppl when they aren’t the subject at hand. Obsessed smh,” wrote @quayofficial.
