Are the Candace Owens leaked messages authentic and who leaked them?
Executive summary
Candace Owens published screenshots of private messages she said came from Charlie Kirk and a Turning Point USA group chat; multiple outlets report Turning Point figures have since confirmed the messages are genuine while disputing their context [1] [2] [3]. Owens says she received the screenshots from an outside source, not from inside TPUSA, and reporting identifies both Owens as the publisher and unnamed external sources as the origin of the files [1] [4].
1. What was published and why it mattered
Candace Owens publicly posted screenshots she described as private WhatsApp/text messages involving Charlie Kirk that were sent days before his death; the messages included complaints about losing a $2 million Jewish donor and a line that one article quoted as “No choice but to leave the pro‑Israel cause” [5] [6]. Media outlets treated the content as consequential because Kirk was a prominent conservative organizer and because the messages, if authentic, bore on debates about donor influence, Israel policy inside Turning Point USA, and the political moment after his death [1] [7].
2. Which outlets say the texts are authentic—and what they say about provenance
Several outlets report that Turning Point representatives or associates confirmed the messages’ authenticity. Reporters for Daily Mail cited TPUSA associate Andrew Kolvet and other insiders; Kolvet publicly confirmed the messages were real while saying they were “twisted out of context,” according to Lawyer Monthly’s coverage which cites the Daily Mail reporting [1]. The Hill’s Rising+ segment likewise reported that Andrew Kolvet confirmed authenticity [2]. The Times of India also reported Turning Point had said the messages were genuine [3]. Those accounts uniformly note Owens as the person who released the screenshots but attribute the original delivery to an outside source rather than an internal leaker, per Owens’ statement reported in multiple accounts [1] [4].
3. Disputes over meaning and context
Turning Point spokespeople and friends of Kirk pushed back on interpretations drawn from the screenshots, arguing that additional messages and context show Kirk remained a supporter of Israel and Jewish people “to the very end,” and that some excerpts were presented in a way that changed their meaning [1]. Newsweek summarized the organization’s response: “What is the truth about the way Charlie felt about Israel? Well, it’s complicated,” quoting Turning Point’s reply and noting the organization blamed selective presentation [7]. Sources therefore present two competing narratives: Owens and some readers see the messages as evidence of donor pressure and a potential shift in Kirk’s stance; TPUSA allies say the messages are authentic but mischaracterized or incomplete.
4. Who leaked the messages—what reporting does and does not say
Available reporting consistently shows Owens as the publisher of the screenshots and states she received them from an outside source, but the precise identity of the original leaker is not named in the cited accounts [1] [4]. Lawyer Monthly quotes Owens saying she received screenshots from an outside source; other outlets repeat that formulation while noting Owens did not claim to be the initial leaker [1]. None of the provided sources identify a specific individual or organization as the original leaker by name. Therefore, available sources do not mention a confirmed identity for the person or group who first disclosed the screenshots.
5. Broader context, motives and consequences
Reporting places the leak amid internal turmoil at TPUSA after Kirk’s death: the messages touched on money, donor influence, and organizational governance and have sparked legal, reputational, and political fallout for Turning Point [1]. Owens has a combative history with mainstream conservative institutions and has previously released private messages and allegations in public spats, which shapes how outlets and readers interpret her motives [8] [9]. Sources note both the potential public‑interest argument for exposing donor influence and the ethical critique of publishing private communications amid a high‑profile death [1] [10].
6. What remains unverified and why that matters
While multiple outlets report TPUSA figures confirmed the messages’ authenticity, they also report pushback about context and additional messages that proponents say change the narrative [1] [7]. The original leaker’s identity remains undisclosed in the sources cited, and none of the provided items publish the full chat logs or independent forensic verification that would allow third‑party validation beyond TPUSA’s own confirmation [1] [2]. That combination—partial confirmation plus disputed context and an unidentified source—means the factual core (that the screenshots came from Kirk and were shared publicly by Owens) is reported, but the broader interpretive claims (motivation, who leaked, and whether excerpts mislead) remain contested in reporting [1] [7].
7. Bottom line for readers
Candace Owens is the public publisher of the screenshots and multiple news reports say TPUSA figures confirmed the texts were genuine; those same sources say the originator of the leak was an anonymous “outside source” and that TPUSA disputes the way the excerpts were used [1] [2] [3]. If you are judging the significance of the content, weigh three facts reported across outlets: Owens released the images, TPUSA acknowledged authenticity while disputing context, and the original leaker’s identity is not disclosed in current reporting [1] [4].