Much like the late Charlie Kirk, Candace Owens has never been one to mince her words. Following Kirk's September 10 shooting at Utah Valley University, Owens has become something of a poster boy for the Kirk cause, speaking out almost as much as his widow, Erika Kirk.
Owens is also no stranger to controversy, famously being sued by France's President Emmanuel Macron and his wife over claims that the latter was born a man. More recently, Owens has used her platform to fan the flames surrounding Kirk's murder, even going as far as sharing screenshots from a group chat involving the fellow far-right commentator.
The immediate aftermath of Kirk's murder saw wrongful arrests, conspiracy theories galore, and the eventual arrest of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. A few details from the trial have been trickling out, but with 4th District Court Judge Tony Graf issuing a gag order on proceedings, anyone associated with the case is supposed to be forbidden from speaking to news media.
Explaining the controversial gag, Graf added: "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."
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The gag order doesn't look like it'll stop Owens, who took to X to defiantly say: "Don’t worry about the gag order in the Charlie Kirk case. I plan to violate it on the world’s behalf."
Saying that Kirk was betrayed 'by everyone', Owens added: "The things I’ve discovered this past week are enough to burn the house down."
Although she hasn't made it clear what she's supposedly found out, Owens has been accused of exasperating things to raise her own profile and advertise her equally divisive views.
Responding to her post, one person said: "Geez. NONE of your delusional conspiracy theories panned out. Can't wait to hear your next wacko one about Charlie Kirk 🙄."
Another mocked: "Nothing says integrity quite like harassing investigators, TPUSA, and Charlie’s closest friends for details you already knew were protected under a gag order. Truly noble work, Candace."
A third called out Owens' situation with the Macrons as they wrote: "No one understands the 'Dark Side of Social Media Monetization' better than Candace Owens, as her milking of Charlie Kirks' death has placed her #2 on Spotify."
Not everyone was against her, with one of Owens' supporters concluding: "People are so desperate to smear Candace, but she is loved by many and that’s because we trust her. Candace has the signs of a truth seeker and self corrects when she makes mistakes.
"Those one-off critiques of her do nothing to change my opinion of her. If the litmus test for fidelity of persons is impeccability then no one could be affirmed. Cope harder, haters. We love you, Candace. ☦️🙏🏼."
Owens has also faced backlash for her comments about Erika Kirk, calling out Charlie's wife for partaking in photoshoots hours after his death, all while she was supposedly raising 'important' questions herself.
She's also perpetuated the idea that there's a massive federal cover-up, with Robinson apparently being framed.
Still, with Kirk's murder even garnering the interest of President Trump, Graf has vowed to keep the gag order in place: "Regardless of who is watching, whether it is the nation or a single individual, we must fulfil 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."