Fire-breathing right-wing commentator Candace Owens, whose unflinching, take-no-prisoners debating style has won her many admirers, including Donald Trump, has parted ways with Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire amid allegations of antisemitism.
Owens, who has become the most visible face of black conservatism in recent years, has never been one to shy away from controversy or parse her words. But since the start of the Israel-Gaza War, Owens has become increasingly at odds with Ben Shapiro over Israel’s actions in the war, which has reportedly claimed more than 30,000 Palestinian lives. Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew and strong supporter of Israel and the war, has already had one spat with Owens, who is opposed to Israel’s actions and continued U.S. support. In recent controversy, Owens took a shot at Shapiro’s wealth, saying that “you cannot serve God and money,” and also criticized American Jewish elites who, she claimed, are “using the fact that they are Jewish to shield themselves from any criticism.” And, she went on, “all of us Black, Spanish, Jewish, Chinese, Japanese, all Americans should want answers because this appears to be something that is quite sinister.”
Such utterances are ambiguous enough to allow Owens some benefit of the doubt. But her liking of an obvious antisemitic tweet on X last Monday is more problematic, to say the least. Celebrity Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who claims to have been targeted by “Candace’s Jew-hating fans” posted an obscenity-laced, semi-coherent threat from an obviously vicious antisemite to make his point, and another such, under the handle Christ Gnosis, posted a sarcastic response to the rabbi: “It says February 20th, Rabbi. Are you drunk on Christian blood again?” Owens then liked the post, prompting the ADL and others to accuse her of trafficking in blood libels.
Owens posted on her site that “the rumors are true — I am finally free,” even as Daily Wire co-founder Jeremy Boreing confirmed that “Daily Wire and Candace Owens have ended their relationship.”
Owens, who has claimed that she is being attacked for not believing “that American taxpayers should have to pay for Israel’s wars or the wars of any other country,” has assured her followers that she will soon be up and running as an independent commentator on YouTube.
For the record, The New American and its parent company, the John Birch Society, strongly oppose antisemitism and all forms of racism, while recognizing that accusations of racism and antisemitism are frequently used to slander anyone on the so-called “Right.” We also maintain that claims about “Jewish conspiracies” are not only false, but also one of a number of potentially debilitating distractions redirecting energy and understanding from the real nature of the problems that beset us.
