Piers Morgan confronts Candace Owens over Charlie Kirk conspiracy theories in tense interview
Piers Morgan on Wednesday accused podcaster Candace Owens of profiting from conspiracy theories about the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, comparing her to Alex Jones and suggesting she might not truly believe her own words in a tense, hour-long interview.
Owens joined "Piers Morgan Uncensored" for a combative, yet civil conversation days after Owens' private meeting with Erika Kirk. Owens, who has spent weeks pushing various conspiracy theories about the assassination of Charlie Kirk that include foreign governments and even an internal Turning Point plot, met with his widow on Monday.
Tyler Robinson, 22, is charged with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of Kirk during a Turning Point USA event on the Utah Valley University campus, and prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty in the case.
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Owens has said she doesn't believe it was Robinson and has floated a variety of unsubstantiated theories related to the assassination, but Morgan said he had no idea whether anything she says is true or accurate. Owens, a vehement critic of Israel, has posited ideas that the Israeli and French governments played a role in the murder and also suggested internal Turning Point members were complicit in the killing.
"I just know you’re saying a huge amount of stuff. It’s making you very wealthy. You’re getting millions and millions of people coming in," Morgan said as Owens shook her head and interrupted him.
"What is this idea that it’s making me wealthy? Can you actually explain that slowly for people? It’s just, like, a talking point," Owens said.
Morgan said he would be happy to oblige.
"When Sandy Hook happened, and Alex Jones began weaponizing the Sandy Hook tragedy and weaponizing the grief of the poor parents who lost their children … it turned out he had been spewing deliberate lies. And every time he spewed them, they found he made hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars. … He made himself extremely rich," Morgan said.
"He ended up with a billion-dollar defamation finding against him," Morgan continued. "There [are], as you know, a lot of people … who say that’s exactly what you’ve been doing with Erika Kirk."
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A jury awarded nearly $1 billion to Sandy Hook families who sued Jones for defamation over his theories about the 2012 elementary school massacre.
Owens pushed back, insisting she was already a top-rated podcast before Kirk’s assassination.
"Everyone saying that I’m making more money cannot say how I am making more money because it’s just not true," Owens said.
The two bickered about whether an uptick in YouTube views has increased her revenue until Morgan asked if Erika Kirk believes any of her assassination theories were convincing.
"Did she think that Israel was involved? Did she think that there were French paratroopers involved? Did she think the Egyptian planes were complicit? Did she think that Turning Point employees were involved? Which of the many theories did she think has actually got any merit to it?" Morgan asked.
Owens said she didn’t sit Erika Kirk down to "convince her" of her theories.
"That wasn’t the nature of the meeting that we had. I shared information with her and told her what the feds were ignoring. These are the things that I’m looking into and, obviously, explained to her about the Egyptian planes and this bizarre connection to Turning Point faith events and tours," Owens said.
Morgan shot back, "Here is my problem with the whole thing. … When I actually ask you to be specific about who do you think did what, that’s where it all hits a shuttering halt. You don’t know, do you?"
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Owens admitted she doesn’t truly know if any of her theories are true.
"If I actually knew who shot Charlie Kirk, I would be instantly publicizing it," Owens conceded.
"You have to follow the clues until you arrive at a conclusion," she continued. "Of course, I cannot confidently state that it was, you know, John Smith who shot Charlie Kirk. … I don’t know that."
At another point, Owens relayed she'd told Erika Kirk at their meeting to look further into two Turning Point employees. Asked by Morgan what evidence she had that they had prior knowledge of his murder, Owens admitted she didn't have "concrete evidence" and wasn't naming them.
"You've got no evidence, but you're telling the widow that these two people may have been involved in the murder," Morgan said. "You see the problem."
Owens, appearing flustered, said Morgan was trying to get her to defend things she'd never said. She insisted it was just about trying to get to the facts.
"That's called an investigation, Piers," she snapped.
Owens continued to insist there are "lies" surrounding the assassination and suggested she will continue to float theories despite Erika Kirk publicly asking her to stop.
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"We had a conversation, and I was not asked throughout that conversation to stop," Owens said. "I will not stop."
Morgan asked Owens if she truly believes that Israel, Egypt, Turning Point employees, along with Tyler Robinson and potentially others, were all involved in the murder of Kirk.
Owens said she simply pointed out information about an Egyptian plane but has "tons of questions" about Israel and other theories.
"My guess, Candace, for what it’s worth, is it will turn out none of that is true, and it was Tyler Robinson," Morgan said, adding he’s not sure if Owens believes her own rhetoric.
Owens fiercely defended her right to ask questions without a conclusion in mind, but Morgan retorted that she could perhaps be guilty of "spewing bulls--- to the public."
"No. Nice try, it's not. It's you by saying, ‘Why are you asking this question?’" Owens shot back.
Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price and Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report.