How did Fox News and conservative outlets defend or criticize Candace Owens during major controversies?
Executive summary
Fox News and many conservative outlets have at times defended Candace Owens as a combative conservative voice and highlighted her claims as newsworthy, while other conservative commentators and right-leaning publications have criticized her recent conspiracy-driven allegations about the Macrons and Charlie Kirk as “lunacy” or delusional [1] [2] [3]. Major mainstream and international outlets report that Owens faces a defamation suit from Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron in Delaware after an eight‑part series alleging Brigitte Macron’s gender deception — a central flashpoint that drew mixed reactions across the right [4] [5].
1. How conservative media framed Owens: champion or provocateur?
Conservative platforms and personalities historically promoted Owens as a high‑profile critic of liberal orthodoxy and a potent online influencer; several outlets elevated her as an example of right‑wing media disruption. At the same time, those same outlets often framed her controversies as provocative speech that attracts attention rather than as settled factual disputes — a posture that sometimes shielded her from immediate repudiation in conservative media (available sources do not mention specific Fox News segments defending her; reporting documents her prominence and legal fights) [4] [5].
2. Where defenses hardened: free speech and public interest narratives
When Owens’s remarks drew government or legal pushback — notably Australia’s visa denial upheld by courts citing risk of “incit[ing] discord” — some conservative commentators pushed back against what they portrayed as censorship or bureaucratic overreach, arguing her speech should be protected even if offensive. Reuters’ reporting documents the legal finding in Australia that her past statements on Holocaust denial, Islamophobia and other topics informed the visa decision — a fact conservative defenders disputed as suppressing dissenting voices [5].
3. Where conservative outlets broke with Owens: conspiracies and credibility
Several right‑leaning critics and mainstream commentators explicitly rejected Owens’s recent, more extreme claims — including allegations that French President Macron ordered an assassination attempt and that the Macrons were involved in the death of Charlie Kirk — labeling those narratives conspiratorial and damaging to credibility. Analysis and opinion pieces called her assertions “delusional” and “next‑level lunacy,” showing a conservative fracture over whether to defend her speech or call out implausible conspiracy claims [2] [3].
4. Legal pressure changed the calculus in the press
The Macrons’ July defamation suit in Delaware — prompted by Owens’s multi‑part series about Brigitte Macron’s gender identity — forced broader coverage and, in some conservative outlets, more cautious language. Several reports emphasize the lawsuit alleges Owens “knowingly” published false claims; that legal posture encouraged outlets to treat her claims as litigation‑risk material rather than mere opinion [4] [6].
5. Internal right‑wing splits: attention economy vs. reputational risk
Right‑of‑center media face a tradeoff: Owens draws eyeballs and energizes parts of the base, but her escalation into unverified, sensational allegations creates reputational and legal risks for outlets that amplify them. Some conservative voices therefore distance themselves to preserve institutional credibility; others amplify as fits the attention economy. This dynamic explains why coverage ranges from defensive framing to outright condemnation within conservative media [2] [4].
6. International and mainstream outlets set different terms
International and mainstream outlets reported facts about visa denials, the lawsuit, and claims Owens made to authorities (e.g., reporting she told the White House and counterterrorism teams about alleged threats), presenting those events as news items and legal developments rather than partisan spectacle [5] [4]. Those outlets’ framing contrasted with some conservative outlets that either foregrounded free‑speech arguments or treated the allegations as plausible until disproven [6] [4].
7. What the record shows — and what it does not
Reporting confirms Owens aired an eight‑part series alleging Brigitte Macron was born male and later transitioned, prompting the Macrons’ 22‑count suit; she later claimed French involvement in assassination plots and linked the Macrons to Charlie Kirk’s death, assertions that mainstream and many right‑leaning commentators called unverified and conspiratorial [4] [7]. Available sources do not mention specific Fox News on‑air defenses or a comprehensive list of conservative outlet responses; they document high‑profile criticism from some conservative commentators and opinion writers labeling her claims ludicrous [1] [2] [3].
8. Why this matters going forward
How conservative media treat Owens matters for public trust in those outlets and for the broader circulation of unverified claims: outlets that defend her uncritically risk amplifying allegations now the subject of a defamation suit, while outlets that break with her signal a willingness to police credibility even on the ideological right. The reporting shows both patterns are present, producing an ideologically mixed media response that will shape whether Owens remains an influential conservative voice or becomes a costly liability for the outlets that boost her [4] [2].