Conservative commentator Candace Owens is once again at the center of controversy, this time over her outspoken role in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s murder.
Weeks after the high-profile shooting in Utah, Owens has positioned herself as one of Kirk’s most vocal defenders, as she publicly vowed to defy a judge’s gag order in the case of the State v. Tyler Robinson.
Highlights
- Candace Owens vowed to publicly defy the gag order in Tyler Robinson’s murder trial of Charlie Kirk. She claims Kirk was betrayed by many.
- Owens alleges a federal cover-up, suggests Robinson was framed, and accuses others, including Phil Lyman, of involvement in Kirk’s death.
- Owens shared texts showing Kirk planned to leave the pro-Israel cause shortly before being murdered, raising claims of powerful enemies.
- Owens linked an Egyptian Air Force plane’s Utah departure after the shooting to a possible foreign or military intervention conspiracy.
Kirk was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University.
Candace Owens publicly vowed to defy a judge’s gag order in the State v. Tyler Robinson
Image credits: Jason Davis/Getty Images
Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested and charged with Charlie Kirk’s murder.
Last month, 4th District Court Judge Tony Graf issued a gag order on the proceedings of Kirk’s murder case, forbidding anyone associated with the case from speaking to news media.
Explaining the gag, Graf said, “The court will rule that as those witnesses become known to each side that that information is conveyed to abide by this order. Obviously, there are potentially many witnesses, and it’s not the expectation that you would do that upfront but as they become known.”
Image credits: Scott G Winterton/Getty Images
The gag order is effective on two or three thousand witnesses, including students who were present during the shooting.
Owens vowed to defy these orders, writing on X, “Don’t worry about the gag order in the Charlie Kirk case. I plan to violate it on the world’s behalf.”
She added that Kirk was betrayed “by everyone.”
“The things I’ve discovered this past week are enough to burn the house down,” she said.
While Owens did not reveal specific details she might be in the know about, she has made bold claims in the past, including commenting on Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk, for partaking in photoshoots hours after her husband’s death, and claiming that there is a massive federal cover-up in Kirk’s death, with Robinson allegedly being framed.
Owens alleged there is a federal cover-up in Kirk’s death
Image credits: Rebecca Noble/Getty Images
Owens also claimed that “threats were made” to Kirk in the weeks leading up to his murder.
She said Kirk had been subject to an “intervention” by billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. Ackman, a vocal supporter of Israel, allegedly made “threats” to Kirk after the latter questioned Israel’s handling of Gaza.
Owens claimed that Kirk was offered “a ton of money,” which he declined since he was “on the brink of changing some of his perspectives” on his pro-Israeli stance.
Ackman denied these claims on X.
Earlier this month, Owens also released screenshots from a group chat involving Kirk, showing conversations that took place just hours before his assassination.
Kirk also allegedly told his friends in a WhatsApp group that his “Jewish donors” were “playing into all the stereotypes,” and were pushing Kirk to “leave the pro-Israel cause,” Haaretz reported on October 11.
Owens revealed the text messages as evidence that Kirk had recently made powerful pro-Israel enemies.
She also revealed text messages Kirk had sent before he was killed
However, critics have accused Owens of seeking attention and stoking controversy rather than contributing useful facts.
She is also being sued by French First Lady Brigitte Macron and French President Emmanuel Macron over claims that Brigitte was born a man.
Owens leveled additional claims surrounding the Kirk case, suggesting that Robinson was framed and questioning whether critical evidence about the shooting was withheld or misrepresented.
Image credits: Scott G Winterton/Getty Images
She even accused former Utah Governor candidate Phil Lyman of involvement in Kirk’s murder. Lyman strongly denied the allegation, calling it “mocking slanderous libel.”
In another conspiracy theory in September, Owens focused on an Egyptian Air plane flying out on the day of Kirk’s murder, tying it to a supposed foreign or military intervention.
“On September 10th, after Charlie’s assassination, an Egyptian Air Force plane flew out of Provo, Utah. Tail number: SU-BTT It’s first trip to America EVER was made on July 20t—to an army base in Nebraska,” she wrote on X, raising suspicion over the flight that allegedly flew out of Utah after Kirk’s murder.
“Tyler Robinson must have had some powerful friends! With all we have crowdsourced, it looks like a decision to murder Charlie Kirk in Utah was made around July 18th.”
She further wrote that a military meeting took place on the same day with foreign leaders, and said, “We now need to reexamine which foreign leaders were in the United States during this approximate time frame.”
Owens claims that the time of the plane’s departure was incorrect, since the plane left before Kirk’s shooting.
Many people on X cited Owens’ mistake with the time difference, and Owens possibly mistook the UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) time zone for Utah time.
In another theory, Owens said Kirk had been “betrayed,” apparently based on a dream she had in which Charlie Kirk told her so.
Image credits: Charlie Kirk/Facebook
As the trial unfolds, Judge Graf has reaffirmed that the gag order will remain in force.
“Regardless of who is watching, whether it is the nation or a single individual, we must fulfill our roles with integrity, civility, and diligence.
“I encourage each of you to give your very best to this case. Neither Mr. Robinson nor the people of Utah deserve anything less than the fair and impartial administration of justice,” Graf said.
Robinson’s next formal appearance is scheduled for October 30th.