Staff Reports
A bitter public feud between Erika Kirk, widow of slain conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk, and podcaster Candace Owens has gripped the right-wing online world, threatening to fracture the movement Charlie built through Turning Point USA. Tensions exploded after Charlie’s assassination on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University, when Owens unleashed a barrage of conspiracy theories alleging betrayal by TPUSA leadership, foreign government involvement from Egypt, France, and Israel, and even shadowy federal cover-ups tied to the lone suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. Erika, now steering TPUSA as CEO, fired back on national TV with tears and fury, begging Owens to “stop” profiting from attacks on her family, Charlie’s team, and his enduring legacy of fighting for faith, family, and freedom.
Owens doubled down in podcasts, racking up millions of views, claiming Charlie visited her in a dream, warning of betrayal, that Egyptian military planes stalked Erika for years, and that insiders eulogizing him at memorials were complicit. She likened Erika to Meghan Markle for craving privacy one moment and publicity the next, while questioning pre-assassination death threats Charlie supposedly received—claims Erika flatly denied with phone records in hand. This ugly spectacle distracted from real threats like leftist censorship and border chaos, turning allies into enemies and handing ammunition to Democrats eager to paint conservatives as unhinged.
In a dramatic pivot, Erika extended an olive branch on December 14, announcing a private in-person meeting with Owens the next day, halting all livestreams, tweets, and public barbs until after. Both women emerged from the four-and-a-half-hour showdown on December 15 claiming productivity, with Owens admitting surprise at shared ground and thawed tensions despite lingering disputes over intel like those Egyptian flights. Erika echoed the optimism, teasing more details ahead of AmericaFest while urging a return to work— a rare win for maturity amid the circus that had fatigued even die-hard followers.
Yet skeptics abound, wondering if this truce holds or crumbles under Owens’ relentless questioning style and Erika’s duty to shield TPUSA from further sabotage. Conservative heavyweights like Tim Pool and Dave Rubin have sided against Owens’ wilder theories, stressing unity over division that weakens the fight against woke tyranny. Tucker Carlson rightly slammed the FBI’s opacity in the investigation, fueling doubts, but internal bloodletting only emboldens enemies plotting America’s downfall.
True patriots demand that both women channel their fire outward—against Big Tech overlords, sanctuary city disasters, and President Trump’s unfinished business of draining the swamp. Charlie Kirk’s assassination remains a gut punch, but honoring him means burying hatchets, not swinging them at kin. With AmFest looming and 2026 battles ahead, this fragile peace better stick, lest the right squander momentum on soap opera sideshows when liberty hangs by a thread.
