The right's disinformation predicament

Feb. 20, 2026, 6:00 AM EST
By Zeeshan Aleem

Right-wing podcaster Candace Owens has peddled a number of conspiracy theories about the 2025 assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Among other things, Owens, who once worked at TPUSA, has suggested that the FBI, the French Foreign Legion, the Israeli government and even Turning Point staff could be among those involved in Kirk’s death. Now her unsubstantiated claims appear to be sowing discord at TPUSA itself ...

In a video posted on X in February that was shared widely, former TPUSA public relations manager Aubrey Laitsch said she has “a gut feeling that I was terminated from Turning Point because I am questioning the narrative” of Kirk’s death ...

Laitsch did not attribute her apparent interest in conspiracy theories about Kirk’s death to Owens — but Owens is the most influential disseminator of those theories.

It also appears that TPUSA staffers are leaking internal material to her. Owens obtained recordings of video chats of Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, who now runs Turning Point USA, and used them on her show as fodder to advance the conspiracy theories. Last week, Owens even said that police should be questioning Erika Kirk ...

https://www.ms.now/opinion/candace-owens-turning-point-erika-charlie-kirk-conspiracy