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Why was Candace Owens absent from the Turning Point USA event?
Executive summary
Available reporting shows Candace Owens did not attend Turning Point USA events at various moments for reasons tied to her 2019 resignation as communications director and, more recently, public disputes after Charlie Kirk’s September 2025 shooting; sources note she resigned in 2019 to pursue her own projects (PragerU, BLEXIT, book) [1] [2] [3] and that she was absent from Kirk’s memorial and other TPUSA gatherings amid a later feud over the circumstances of his death [4] [5].
1. Background: Owens’ formal split from Turning Point USA
Candace Owens resigned as TPUSA communications director in May 2019 and publicly framed the move as leaving to build her own projects — notably the BLEXIT movement, podcast work with PragerU, and a forthcoming book — rather than continuing as an in-house communications director [1] [2] [3]. Contemporary coverage and organizational materials reflect that she stopped serving in that staff role even while remaining, at that time, a frequent speaker at TPUSA events [2] [1].
2. Why “absent” can mean many things — goodbye to staff duties vs. event no-shows
Sources distinguish between Owens’ departure as an employee and later decisions not to appear at specific TPUSA functions. Her 2019 exit was an organizational resignation and not framed in the reporting as an immediate ban on future appearances; she initially continued speaking at TPUSA conferences even after stepping down [2]. Therefore, absence from a particular TPUSA event after 2019 does not automatically imply a formal disinvitation; it may reflect scheduling, strategic choices, or later political ruptures [2] [1].
3. Recent context: the Charlie Kirk assassination and escalating public dispute
In 2025, after Charlie Kirk was shot on September 10, Owens publicly criticized TPUSA’s handling of information and raised questions about money and communications surrounding his death; she released videos, listed alleged “verifiable lies,” and demanded answers — actions that worsened her relationship with many TPUSA-aligned figures [6] [5]. Reporting notes Owens’ absence from Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona and her public claim that she instead attended mass and took her children to a movie that day, a detail cited in coverage of the feud [4].
4. How TPUSA figures reacted — internal split and public condemnations
Several TPUSA-aligned commentators and allies publicly rebuked Owens for her accusations after Kirk’s death, framing her claims as harmful or conspiratorial; for example, conservative influencer Allie Beth Stuckey criticized Owens publicly and other TPUSA allies defended the organization and Erika Kirk [7]. That strand of reporting suggests Owens’ absence from TPUSA events in late 2025 is tied to mutual hostility and a breakdown in personal and organizational relations [7] [4].
5. Conflicting accounts and limits of available reporting
Available sources do not present a single definitive reason that covers every instance of Owens’ absence; some pieces emphasize her 2019 voluntary resignation and strategic career moves [1] [2] [3], while later reporting ties specific absences to disputes after the 2025 shooting and the resulting public spat [6] [4]. The sources do not provide direct statements from TPUSA explicitly declaring a ban on Owens from events in 2025, nor do they present a TPUSA timeline that lists every invited speaker and declined appearance; therefore, assertions about formal disinvitations are not found in current reporting (not found in current reporting).
6. How to interpret absence: plausible explanations from the record
Based on the combined coverage, plausible, evidence-backed explanations are: (a) Owens left TPUSA staff in 2019 to focus on independent projects, so absences after that can reflect her non-staff status [1] [2]; (b) by late 2025 a public feud and competing narratives about Charlie Kirk’s death made her presence at TPUSA events unlikely or fraught, explaining her absence from key gatherings like the memorial [4] [5]; and (c) while commentators within the movement have directly attacked Owens, the sources do not contain a single TPUSA statement explicitly saying “we disinvite Candace Owens” for the 2025 events (p1_s7, not found in current reporting).
7. Bottom line for readers
The record shows Owens’ absence from TPUSA events stems from two separate arcs in the reporting: a 2019, voluntary resignation tied to career ambitions (PragerU, BLEXIT, book) [1] [2] [3], and a later, acrimonious rift after Charlie Kirk’s 2025 shooting that led to public accusations, condemnations from TPUSA allies, and her nonattendance at memorial events [6] [4] [7]. The sources do not document a formal, single-line explanation from TPUSA for every missed appearance, so readers should treat “absence” as a mix of resignation, personal choice, and escalating conflict rather than a single administrative decision (not found in current reporting).