What public statements did Candace Owens make about Charlie Kirk's death before and after meeting Erika Kirk?

1. Before the meeting: leaked audio and public outrage

In late January, Owens aired what she said were private Zoom calls and videos of Erika Kirk speaking to Turning Point staff days after Charlie Kirk’s death, highlighting moments of laughter and remarks about memorial merchandise and donation metrics and calling those moments “off‑putting” given the timing of the assassination ^{[1] [2] [6]}. Owens framed the leaks as proof TPUSA leadership was commercializing a moment of mourning and used the clips to argue the organization was focused on “numbers and metrics” rather than grief, a characterization that provoked both condemnation and defense online ^{[7] [8]}.

2. Before the meeting: escalation into conspiracy territory

Beyond criticizing tone and leaks, Owens pushed far beyond immediate staff conduct: she publicly floated theories that foreign governments — naming Israel, France and Egypt in various reports — or inside actors might have been involved in Charlie Kirk’s death, suggested betrayals by people close to him, and implied law enforcement might be covering up a larger plot ^{[9] [3] [10]}. Those claims, amplified across Owens’ podcast and social platforms, drew warnings from critics about conspiratorial and antisemitic tropes, and intensified internal conservative fractures ^[10].

3. The face‑to‑face: a four‑plus hour meeting and what each side said

Owens and Erika met for several hours in mid‑December; both later posted that the conversation was “productive,” but public accounts differ on its effect: Erika emphasized law enforcement should be trusted and that she sought to tamp down speculation, while Owens said she remained unconvinced and that her questions were not answered to her satisfaction ^{[5] [4]}. Reports note Erika brought records and sought to explain the investigatory process; Owens said she was offered contact with a lawyer but still characterized the official narrative as inadequate ^{[10] [3]}.

4. After the meeting: refusal to retract and doubling down

Multiple outlets reported Owens explicitly refused to take back her public accusations after the meeting, repeating demands for answers and asserting the public was being “gaslit,” even mocking the police affidavit as “fake and gay,” one of her catchphrases ^{[4] [3] [10]}. Rather than retracting, Owens amplified additional witness claims and continued to publicize her theory set — including allegations about who was seen at certain locations before the assassination — signaling a sustained campaign rather than a quieting after private talks ^{[11] [9]}.

5. Alternative perspectives and implicit agendas

Supporters of Erika and TPUSA counter that the leaked clips show a leader trying to steady an organization under strain and thanking staff for hard work — not evidence of malfeasance — and argue Owens’ leaks and persistent allegations look like a personal vendetta or public smear campaign ^{[7] [12]}. Observers and multiple outlets also note Owens’ recent history of promoting conspiracy theories and sensational claims, which shapes how her disclosures are received and casts doubt among some that her motive is purely fact‑finding rather than audience growth or internal power plays ^{[10] [7]}.

6. What the record does and does not show

The supplied reporting documents Owens’ pre‑meeting actions — leaking and commenting on audio, publicizing conspiratorial theories and accusing TPUSA of profiteering — and it documents her post‑meeting stance of refusing to retract and intensifying accusations ^{[1] [2] [3] [10]}. The sources do not, within the material provided, establish the underlying factual truth of Owens’ broader allegations about foreign involvement or a cover‑up; they do, however, consistently record her public statements, the leaks she released, and her continued posture after meeting Erika Kirk ^{[9] [11]}.