Conservative podcaster Candace Owens has intensified her public feud with figures associated with Turning Point USA (TPUSA), an organization she was formerly a part of, after Pastor John Amanchukwu publicly called her “evil” and “demonic” at a TPUSA Faith event.
The rift comes as Owens continues to push multiple, unproven conspiracy theories regarding the September 10 assassination of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk, having hinted at Israeli and Egyptian interference in the death of Kirk, who was fatally shot at Utah Valley University. Authorities have arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson and charged him with the murder.
The Pastor’s Public Condemnation
Pastor Amanchukwu, a staff contributor with TPUSA Faith, used his platform at the event to slam Owens for allegedly “tearing down” Kirk’s legacy. He notably asked the audience to clap after his condemnation.
Owens quickly reacted to the clip on X (formerly Twitter), mocking the pastor’s request for applause:
“TPUSA ‘Faith’ coming to a city near you… ‘God wants you to CLAP for me’.”
Owens’ ‘Pastor Challenge’ and Backlash
Not content with targeting just one pastor, Owens broadened her attack, making a general assertion about the content of Sunday sermons across the country:
“Pastor challenge: tomorrow is Sunday. I challenge you to get through an entire ‘sermon’ without mentioning me OR Tucker Carlson,” she wrote on X.
This bold claim drew swift and widespread criticism, with many users and public figures suggesting Owens was vastly overestimating her own relevance:
- Public Reaction: One user remarked, “She’s vastly overestimating her own relevance. Most pastors I know (and I know plenty) have never once mentioned Candace Owens from the pulpit. It’s pure self-importance…”
- NYT Bestseller Response: Author Megan Basham commented that it was “delusional for her to suggest that pastors are talking about her in their sermons.”
Clarification Amid Criticism
Amid the heavy criticism, Owens issued a clarification, limiting the scope of her initial assertion:
“I was referring to the Turning Point Faith pastors that were trending for doing sermons about me over the last week. Not every pastor in the world.”
The ongoing feud highlights the deepening ideological schism within the conservative movement, particularly following the death of Charlie Kirk and Owens’ subsequent controversial claims.