MAGA influencer Candace Owens has criticised the Trump administration’s investigation into the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, as she continues to push her unfounded conspiracy theory that the Israeli government was involved in the assassination.
Owens has peddled the accusation since Kirk’s death in September. The commentator escalated her theories on Wednesday, calling out President Donald Trump for appearing disinterested in keeping the public informed on the investigation.
Owens said on her podcast that the Trump administration was being silent about the investigation because of the “pro-Israel lobby”.
“I know spiritually, from the moment Charlie Kirk passed, that we were never going to get the full story from officials,” Owens said.
“I can’t explain it. I felt that way, and when Trump rushed to Truth Social-out that AI-generated photo of him and Charlie with the Star of David in the background, I just knew. I knew the investigation into who murdered Charlie Kirk was officially over.
“Find me just one person with a platform who is pro-Israel who says ‘I want the investigation into [Kirk’s] death to continue. It’s a bit weird right? Dog’s very silent right now and there’s steak on the ground and they’re not moving.”
Trump’s move to declare a national day of remembrance for Kirk was further proof the government was failing to investigate the cause of death, Owens added.
“I think it’s crap. It’s never good when the feds are lining up to give you a holiday. Martin Luther King, Jr. vibes. I definitely think the feds killed Martin Luther King Jr … I don’t like it. The best way to honour Charlie Kirk is to figure out who killed him.”
Owens has regularly been accused of antisemitism, in particular after she was suspended from YouTube in September last year for sharing her 2022 interview with Kanye West that claimed “Jewish people control the media.”
This sparked one of the most high-profile Jewish figures in the country, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, to describe her as “America’s antisemite.”
Kirk’s death has sparked further antisemitic conspiracy theories that reject Trump’s belief the shooting was due to radical left wing ideas. Figures including Owens and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson instead argue Israel is suppressing information.
The theory being supported by Owens, as well as by Tucker Carlson, centers around the idea that Kirk was wavering in his support for Israel, as he invited Carlson and Dave Smith, another conservative who does not support the war in Gaza, to Turning Point USA events.
Carlson and Smith used the event to argue against the war in Gaza and question how Israeli funding could be influencing US politics.
Owens also claims Kirk privately told her he was being threatened by the Israeli government and Bill Ackman, a pro-Israel and pro-Trump hedge fund manager.
“Bill Ackman was very upset and threats were made. That is what I am told, and I will tell you that I am very happy for Bill Ackman to dispute this narrative,” Owens said on one of her previous shows.
The conspiracy theory has prompted Ackman and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to rebut Owens’ claims as baseless.
“Now, some are peddling these disgusting rumours, perhaps out of obsession, perhaps with Qatari funding,” Netanyahu said in a video message. “What I do know is this: Charlie Kirk was a great man, and a great man deserves honour, not lies.”
No evidence is provided to support Owens’ claims; she links her close friendship with Kirk to suggest she knows more about his death. The pair were close as Owens used to be a part of Turning Point, but she was forced to resign in 2019 after saying Adolf Hitler would have been “fine” if he focused on domestic politics.
