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What specific claims has Candace Owens made about Erika Kirk, and when were they first published or tweeted?
Executive summary
Candace Owens has repeatedly claimed that two Egyptian military aircraft tracked Erika Kirk’s movements dozens of times between 2022 and September 2025, saying the overlap (she gives numbers from about 68 up to 73) suggests those flights were monitoring Erika and may relate to Charlie Kirk’s death [1] [2] [3]. Owens has also posted flight details, screenshots and tweets and discussed the assertion on her podcast and social posts in mid– to late‑November 2025, while publicly denying she ever accused Erika of murdering Charlie when others characterized her remarks that way [4] [3] [5].
1. What Owens specifically claimed about Egyptian planes and Erika Kirk
Owens asserted that two Egyptian Air Force aircraft — identified in reporting as SU‑BTT and SU‑BND in some accounts — overlapped with Erika Kirk’s documented locations many times (reports quote “about 68,” “nearly 70,” “73” or “73 overlaps” depending on the outlet) between 2022 and September 2025, and that the pattern showed the planes were “tracking” Erika rather than Charlie [1] [2] [3]. She amplified these claims with flight‑tracking screenshots, registration numbers and alleged ancillary details such as rental‑car make/models and license plates tied to those flights [2].
2. Where and when Owens first published or aired these claims
Multiple reports place Owens publicizing the flight‑tracking material and related theories in November 2025: she disclosed new details on her podcast episode “Operation Mocking‑Plane” around November 17–18, 2025 and shared posts on X (formerly Twitter) on or about November 18, 2025 [3] [4]. Earlier in the fall she had raised questions about Egyptian aircraft presence in Provo around the time of Charlie Kirk’s shooting and posted tweets that were reported in October and November 2025; she later expanded the claims with the multi‑overlap counts in mid‑November [1] [6].
3. Numbers and how they vary across coverage
Reporting shows variation in the overlap counts Owens cited: outlets cite “nearly 70,” “about 68,” and “73” overlaps between the Egyptian planes’ flight data and Erika Kirk’s movements [3] [2] [1]. Some pieces note Owens herself updated figures as she reviewed data, saying she “has since been able to add now 73 times” [2]. The differing totals are reported without a single authoritative spreadsheet in the articles provided [1] [2].
4. Additional claims and the broader narrative Owens advanced
Beyond overlaps, Owens claimed that two Egyptian military planes were present at Provo Airport the day Charlie Kirk was shot and suggested this was consistent with a longer‑running foreign surveillance operation; she framed her work as “connecting dots” that others missed and questioned official narratives, including the FBI’s status of leads [3] [4]. She published ancillary material (rental‑car details, plates) and argued her familiarity with the Kirks helped her notice the pattern [4] [2].
5. Pushback, denials and internal conservative disputes
Other conservative figures publicly disputed how Owens framed the situation. Ben Shapiro and others characterized Owens’ rhetoric as implying Erika’s involvement in Charlie Kirk’s death; Owens denied ever accusing Erika of murder, called such claims false and accused Shapiro of lying about her remarks [5] [7]. Within conservative circles, critics warned Owens’ comments were drawing damaging inferences about Erika’s role or TPUSA leadership; some allies of Charlie Kirk publicly rebuked Owens’ tone [8].
6. Legal and reputational consequences reported
Several outlets reported talk of possible legal action or fallout within Turning Point USA, with articles noting Erika Kirk and the organization facing intense scrutiny and controversy after Owens’ releases — including leaked texts and flight materials — though the sources describe these as unfolding developments and do not document completed lawsuits in the excerpts provided [9] [10]. Available sources do not mention a finalized lawsuit being filed against Owens as of the pieces cited [9] [10].
7. What these sources do and do not establish
The provided reporting documents Owens’ published claims, dates of disclosure (mid‑ to late‑November 2025 for the flight overlaps), and the numbers she cited; they also record her denials of accusing Erika of murder and note internal conservative pushback [3] [4] [5]. The sources do not provide independent verification of the flight‑tracking overlaps beyond Owens’ posted screenshots and assertions, nor do they include an authoritative, third‑party audit of the claimed 68–73 overlaps [1] [2].
Summary: Candace Owens publicized claims in mid‑November 2025 that two Egyptian military aircraft repeatedly overlapped with Erika Kirk’s travel (figures reported as roughly 68–73 overlaps), discussed the material on her podcast and X, released supplementary details, and has denied accusing Erika of murder even as other commentators read her rhetoric that way [3] [2] [5].