Candace Ep 299: "AND ANOTHER ONE: Charlie's Text On September 9th"

Podcast: Candace
Host: Candace Owens
Date: January 31, 2026

Episode Overview

In this solo episode of Candace, Owens continues her investigative and critical examination surrounding the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, particularly focusing on the actions and behaviors of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), Erica Kirk, and associated faith leaders and operatives. Candace delves into the notion of “grief policing,” manipulations of faith, donor targeting, and exposes what she sees as “biblical-scale scams” and calculated fundraising strategies. Listeners are taken through a blend of detailed personal anecdotes, comparative analysis, and fresh information in Owens’s trademark sardonic, direct tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Turning Point Faith: Truth, Gaslighting, and Media Spin

[00:00 – 10:00]

• Owens opens by questioning the legitimacy and morality of TPUSA’s recent activities, characterizing them as “psyopy” and stating that faith is being “intentionally hijacked."
• Calls out the media, notably the Daily Mail, for their headline and narrative about Erica Kirk’s grief, claiming that any criticism equates to “grief policing,” a term Owens mocks as new media spin.
• Highlights her skepticism at the experts quoted in the article, suggesting their assessments are more focused on attacking critics than examining the widow’s actions.
• Quote:

  “The experts at the Daily Mail spoke to were quick to note that Kirk has been an easy target for people who don't share her or her late husband's staunch political or religious views. There is, they say, also an aspect of sexism at play.” – Candace paraphrasing (05:00).

2. Grief, Sexism, and Contrasting Memorials: Vanessa Bryant vs. Erica Kirk

[06:50 – 12:03]

• Owens challenges the idea that criticism of Erica Kirk is rooted in sexism—recounting her emotional reaction to Kobe Bryant’s death and contrasting Vanessa Bryant’s private, personal eulogy with Erica’s more organizational, promotional focus.

• She points out that Vanessa was publicly angry and protective, whereas Erica’s speeches (examined via transcript) were more about promoting TPUSA and its future, with little personal remembrance of Charlie Kirk as an individual.

• Quote:

  “You should go watch Vanessa's speech at the memorial and see if you recognize some differences. ... I am actually, in retrospect, quite amazed by how much was really about Turning Point USA and what was gonna happen going forward.” [09:54]

• Memorable Segment:
  [10:17]

  Erica Kirk's Memorial Speech Clip:

  “If you want to get involved, the best way you can do that is going to tpusa.com. ... If you're a pastor, join our movement at TPUSA Faith. ... I highly recommend you come to America Fest in December. Sign up right now for that.” [10:17–12:03]

3. Manipulation of Grief: A Wealthy Catholic Donor’s Story

[12:03 – 36:00]

• Owens reads and analyzes an email from a Catholic woman who attended the memorial and subsequent Mass, describing what seemed like a divinely orchestrated sequence of events—sitting next to the Kirk family’s priest, being approached in church, and having an emotional meeting with Erica.
• Owens then reveals the inside story: the woman was being targeted by TPUSA fundraisers (especially Stacey Sheridan), making the divine “coincidences” actually calculated moves to identify and court high net-worth potential donors.
  • Owens explains that Stacey Sheridan’s job is to “know everything about that person, their net worth... and then Charlie will go have the conversation,” and that every encounter was engineered.
  • Quote:

    “She was targeted in that church. Okay. I am not. I don’t care. ... This woman was targeted in a church after Mass. It makes me sick. It really does.” [32:56]

• Owens provides specifics on how the donor was funneled, from receiving texts from the priest (“Erica may be at Mass...”) to being escorted by Sheridan, to being invited to a high-roller gala at Mar-a-Lago.
• Notes that supposed financial pressures (like “$6 million for the memorial” due to a made-up RV show being canceled) were employed as emotional levers.
  • Quote:

    “Apparently, Trump had to get personally involved to secure the Cardinal Stadium ... so making up that lost revenue to the stadium is driving the high cost of this event.” [~30:00]

• The woman shares a relic from St. Michael with Erica—Owens interprets this as God working through the situation, even in the face of manipulation.
  • Quote:

    “Even sometimes when you’re going through things like being scammed, there’s a reason for that.” [35:22]

4. The September 9th Text from Charlie Kirk

[28:17]

• Owens introduces the titular “Charlie’s text on September 9th”:
  • Text Shared:

    “For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” – 1 Corinthians 16:9

  • Owens suggests this text is an acknowledgment from Charlie about the enemies bred from his opportunities—interpreting it as a sign he was aware of adversaries surrounding him.

5. Frank Turek Calls Her "Satanic" – The Spiritual Warfare Narrative

[38:56–40:18]

• Owens plays a clip of Dr. Frank Turek strongly condemning her, equating her to Satan, and warning that confusion, accusation, and slander are marks of the evil one.
  • Quote (Frank Turek):

    “Have you noticed that Jesus and the apostles say that Satan is a murderer, a slanderer, an accuser, a liar, and somebody that brings confusion. ... for people who are slandering Erica and others ... this is what Satan does.” [39:22]

• Owens retorts that Turek is deflecting from real questions, and she challenges TPUSA leadership to come on her show for open discussion—if they’re truly in the right, it should be easy to “embarrass” her.
  • Quote:

    “You should be able to embarrass me. ... The truth doesn’t fear sitting down with a lie. So let me know if you’d like to do it.” [41:36]

6. On Don Lemon’s Arrest & Media Theater

[42:58–47:34]

• Owens shifts briefly to discuss Don Lemon’s recent arrest at a protest, characterizing it as “pure FBI DOJ theater”—merely headline-grabbing distraction, and lambasts both Lemon and Pam Bondi (Florida AG) with characteristic irreverence.
  • Quote:

    “Don Lemon, obviously, his head belongs in a toilet... But in the meantime, Pam Bondi trying to grab headlines was equally as annoying. ... If you never speak again, that would be fine.” [47:34]

• Bluntly: “Everything, literally everything, is fake and gay.” [47:55]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Media Manipulation:

  “You can always rely on a new psychological phenomena to be spun out by the media. This is the problem is actually you guys for noticing.” [03:35]

• On Faith Hijacking:

  “There is something so especially sinister about hijacking people's faith and their emotion.” [35:35]

• On Being Targeted as a Donor:

  “She didn't even realize that [‘divine encounter’] was like, you know, ‘we'll get you in, but we're expecting you to kind of write a check.’” [~28:00]

• Frank Turek on Spiritual Warfare:

  “For people who are slandering Erica and others ... this is what Satan does.” [39:22]

• Candace's Retort:

  “We're trying to figure out who murdered Charlie Kirk. ... There's probably like a synagogue of Satan hiding behind it and you guys just don't ... seem interested in going on this journey.” [41:12]

• On TPUSA's Internal Lies:

  “Why are we lying to Candace? Anyway, Stephanie writes, I received my TP USA hat today. Lol. Most likely only because of the leaked call and the attention brought to the contract wording.” [57:33]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00] – Episode opening, framing TPUSA as a “scam of biblical proportions”
• [03:00] – The Daily Mail and “grief policing” narrative
• [06:50] – Comparison between Vanessa Bryant’s and Erica Kirk’s memorial behaviors
• [10:17 – 12:03] – Audio clip & analysis of Erica Kirk’s memorial speech
• [12:03] – Introduction of the Catholic donor’s story
• [28:17] – Charlie Kirk’s September 9th biblical text message
• [32:56] – Candace’s direct accusation of church fundraising manipulation
• [38:56 – 40:18] – Frank Turek clip: Candace equated with Satan, spiritual confusion
• [41:36] – Candace’s challenge for live debate with TPUSA leadership
• [42:58 – 47:34] – Don Lemon’s protest arrest, Owens’s critique of media theatrics
• [57:33] – Commentary on lies internal to TPUSA and personal reader feedback

Episode Tone & Style

• Candace Owens maintains her signature style: bold, irreverent, frequently sarcastic, and punctuated with direct audience engagement. Her delivery combines a mix of investigative deep-dive with personal commentary, humor, and emphatic calls for accountability.

Summary Takeaways

• Owens posits that much of what the public sees around TPUSA is manufactured—especially when faith, grief, and donor recruitment intersect.
• She warns against manipulation wrapped in religious language, urging her audience to scrutinize narrative and motive—especially concerning the behaviors of high-profile “faith-based” organizations.
• She spotlights key evidence (like Charlie’s text) while persistently challenging Turning Point USA and their defenders to respond candidly.
• The episode reinforces Owens’s conviction that truth-telling—no matter the heat—has become a battle of “good versus evil,” making her comments resonate with those skeptical of institutional narratives.

For listeners and non-listeners alike, this episode offers a layered exposé of the intersection between faith, power, and money in the conservative movement, interwoven with Candace’s trademark wit and tenacity.