The storm within the conservative movement is boiling over, and Candace Owens — once a solid voice for right-wing policies and ideas — has put herself at the center of it. Since the sudden and tragic public assassination of Charlie Kirk, Owens, who calls herself a good friend to Kirk, has leveled explosive accusations suggesting that the leadership of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) and people close to them were somehow involved in his murder.

Among many leading statements that Owens has made over the last several months, she recently claimed to have “received information … that put the final pieces together,” and asserted that Kirk was “betrayed by the leadership of Turning Point USA and some of the very people who eulogized him on stage.” She also warned donors that they “were lied to” and urged them to demand refunds. Yet a week later, nothing concrete has emerged. No names. No verifiable proof. Just repeated allegations and mounting distrust.

This post seems to have pushed the TPUSA team to the point where they finally appear to have had enough. In a recent episode of “The Charlie Kirk Show” — which its producers and guests have carried on since his passing — they announced their intention to set the record straight. Over the last few weeks, the group had remained largely silent — at least publicly — out of respect for Kirk’s friendship with Candace, and for those who are still grieving. But with rumors, insinuations, and accusations circulating widely, they concluded that their silence had only benefited their accuser. Among several reasons they gave for holding back until now, they said that because the theories Owens had been spreading were “so out there and so insane,” they didn’t think anyone would believe them. They had also hoped that if they ignored her long enough, she would eventually stop.

Neither of those things has been the case, so they are now taking a more direct approach.

On December 4, producer Blake Neff announced that they would host a full livestream “in the near future” to go “through every single one of [Candace’s] claims” and respond thoroughly. Neff explicitly extended an invitation to Owens to join — in person — at TPUSA’s studio in Phoenix. “If Candace wishes to join us in person in Phoenix, she is welcome to do so,” the announcement read.

Candace’s immediate reaction was to issue a defiant “You pick the place, you pick the time.” She said she was ready “tomorrow,” with no lawyers, no pre-planning — just an authentic, unfiltered showdown. “Take the money,” she said. “We can raise money live for this conversation. … I fully accept.”

Taking her on her word that all they needed to do was put it on the schedule and let her know, TPUSA followed through — locking in the date and studio location. Per a post on X, Blake announced (https://x.com/BlakeSNeff/status/1996464886956851440), “At 4pm Eastern, 2 pm local time on Monday, December 15, a collection of Charlie’s friends will respond to statements made by @RealCandaceO, to set the record straight once and for all prior to the opening of AmericaFest.” Blake said the live stream would be from Charlie’s Phoenix studio and that Candace was welcome to join in person.

Then, as expected, her tone shifted. In a post on X, she claimed it was “kind of weird how you didn’t e-mail or call me … and chose to instead tweet this confirmation out at midnight.” She said December 15 “does not work in person,” and that 2:00 p.m. Pacific was the “literal time I do my podcast LIVE,” implying that her existing commitments prevented her from attending (which she could have made clear in her initial response, when she said she could accommodate the time and place of their choosing). She offered to join remotely instead. TPUSA responded firmly: if she couldn’t come in person, they would proceed without her.

This was not a typical guest scheduling. This was a carefully planned, thorough response by them, Charlie’s friends, and on their terms.

Owens’s sudden pivot raised eyebrows among skeptics. Many said that finding a reason to bail was predictable. She had excuses ready to go, as if she never had the intention of facing them at all. After all, it’s a lot easier to accuse somebody of killing their friend and loved one behind the safety of your own camera and keyboard, with a crowd of loyal followers to affirm your every word, than to say it to their face and allow them to defend themselves.

At the same time, the broader Right has begun to speak up. Over the last few weeks, commentary has slowly shifted. Higher-profile voices — including Tim Pool — have publicly called out what they see as dangerous, reckless behavior. Pool, once hesitant to get involved, has become more vocal about the smear campaign Owens has launched against Kirk’s legacy and organization, as well as against anyone who dares to question her narrative. And the consequences have been sharp and pointed.

Allie Beth Stuckey and Steven Crowder have been among the few conservative commentators who have openly warned their audiences not to give Candace Owens’s theories more credit than the facts warrant, urging people to let the investigation play out. In response, Owens has now lumped them into her ever-expanding list of supposed enemies, mocking their grief and suggesting that they don’t care about Kirk’s murder the way that she does.

These have been the immediate verbal consequences of challenging Owens, but some are beginning to wonder whether the stakes now extend far beyond sharp words alone. On December 6, Pool posted on X that his property had been targeted. A vehicle approached his home and opened fire. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the incident underscored Pool’s grim point: once incendiary accusations are out in the wild, it becomes hard to predict how far their consequences can spread.

After the terrifying incident, Pool launched a blistering rant, accusing Owens of turning the conservative movement into chaos. Pool also insinuated that the perpetrator might have been motivated by anger over his criticism of Owens — though at this point, that remains pure speculation. He warned that by sowing conspiracy and distrust, she was making life unsafe for anyone who attempts to stand in her way.

Meanwhile, official voices have weighed in on some of the theories surrounding the Kirk assassination case. Speaking to Megyn Kelly on her show, FBI Director Kash Patel has publicly dismissed many of Owens’s core claims. Specifically, he made clear there is “zero evidence linking Turning Point USA to Charlie Kirk’s assassination,” and he rejected assertions of a foreign government “hand” in the killing. Investigators have confirmed that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson is the main suspect, and forensic evidence ties him to the crime.

That public repudiation from the FBI director marks a significant point of clarification that many have been asking for; a moment of reckoning for those perpetuating speculation. And given the scale of the upcoming livestream from TPUSA — intended to systematically dismantle, claim by claim, every allegation Owens has floated over the past three months — the contrast is stark.

For now, Owens’s retreat from the live, in-person conversation is yet another signal that her theories are on shaky ground at best. It suggests she is unwilling or unable to put herself in the kind of direct, public scrutiny that the evidence demands. Meanwhile, more conservative voices are raising their concerns openly, and law enforcement has publicly debunked at least some of her most incendiary theories.

But the stakes go beyond personal reputations. There is a real threat to the conservative movement as a whole if we cannot course correct back to the truth and recognize the value of facts over feelings. If TPUSA — a central pillar of conservative youth outreach, campus activism, and movement infrastructure — crumbles under the weight of internal distrust and public smear, it could deal a significant blow to the broader spread of conservatism.

TPUSA’s activism has been one of the few effective counters to the leftist indoctrination happening on college campuses and throughout our education system. Its reach into the next generation of voters — and its willingness to push back against revisionist history and anti-American ideology — has been crucial for keeping a strong conservative presence in the political fight. Losing that access wouldn’t just be a setback; it would put the country’s future direction at real risk.

Charlie Kirk was more than a founder; for many, he was a pillar, holding up the ideals of our Founders. And if the organization he launched is discredited from within, the potential ripple effects are vast.

At the end of the day, this confrontation isn’t just about one person’s grievances or one tragic assassination. It’s about truth, accountability, and whether a political movement can survive when internal conflict threatens to burn down its foundations. And for many watching, the upcoming TPUSA livestream could mark the moment where rumors end — and the facts and the mission come back into focus.