Candace x Bassem Youssef | Candace Ep 298

Podcast: Candace
Host: Candace Owens
Guest: Bassem Youssef
Date: January 30, 2026

Main Theme / Purpose

This episode features Candace Owens in a candid, unfiltered conversation with Egyptian satirist and comedian Bassem Youssef. They dive deep into taboo subjects: Israel/Palestine, U.S. politics, media manipulation, Zionism, censorship, psychological operations, elite power games, and the broader cultural climate. The tone is raw, irreverent, and darkly humorous, with personal confessions and behind-the-scenes revelations about media, religion, and the psychological conditioned narratives shaping the West.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

[00:00–04:53] — Opening, Satire, and the ‘Antisemite of the Year’ Joke

• Bassem opens with dark humor about being nominated for "Antisemite of the Year," noting Candace “won” last year and Tucker Carlson this year, poking fun at the absurdity of such lists.
• Candace doubles down on the irreverence, comparing it to “Forbes 30 under 30” in notoriety, implying those labeled are worth following:

  "Every time they mention anybody there, I'm like, oh, I should be following this person." (01:07)

• Bassem admits jealousy over not winning the 'Award' and jokes about bringing it to Nashville, highlighting the satirical tone.
• Candace pivots to a backstory: Bassem’s viral Piers Morgan appearance shocked her into rethinking the Israel/Gaza situation, and her attempts to discuss him at Daily Wire were quashed due to internal politics:

  "We are not allowed to have Bassem Youssef on...because you hurt Ben's feelings." (02:10)

• Bassem mocks Ben Shapiro’s fast-talking style, calling him a "confident liar" whose speed is to "keep the facts from catching up":

  "He speaks very quickly, the truth is still buffering." (04:04)

[04:53–11:27] — Media, Censorship, and Personal Cost

• Bassem tells multiple stories showing Shapiro’s alleged duplicity/revisionism on issues like the USS Liberty bombing and genocide accusations against Israel.
• Both discuss the extreme gatekeeping in right-wing media, noting how discussing Gaza or USS Liberty (an Israeli attack on a US ship) was forbidden:

  "They sued me for allowing a survivor to tell his story." (10:06, Candace)

• Candace details being sued by Daily Wire after interviewing a USS Liberty survivor, accused of orchestrating the guest’s controversial comments.

[11:27–18:09] — Narrative Control, Gaslighting, & Historical Revisionism

• Both highlight how media and political power shape narratives, especially relating to Israel:

  "They are changing history in front of us right now." (11:27, Bassem)

• Massive investments to retell events like October 7th from a specific (pro-Israel) perspective.
• Bassem lists examples of Israeli false flag operations to underline historic manipulation:
  • King David Hotel bombing
  • Bombings of Iraqi synagogues (to provoke Jewish emigration)
  • The Lavon Affair in Egypt
  • Embassy bombing in London; other Israeli-linked covert ops
• Candace points to psychological ops in Hollywood: "It's one big psychological operation...brainwashing your children to believe that they're always victims." (16:10)
• Both agree: Zionism (not Judaism) is pathologized by an ability to "lie and not feel anything"—a recurring theme.

[18:09–26:30] — Dissenting Jews, Political Identity, and ‘Supremacy’

• Bassem talks about Jewish friends who reject Zionism but are silenced; mentions stand-up Matt Lieb’s transformation from Zionist to critic.
• Candace: “It’s not a religion, it’s a political philosophy.” (20:02)
• Both discuss how real estate interests (ex: Jared Kushner in Gaza), U.S. Evangelical support, and psychological ops are entangled.
• Bassem shares experience of Jewish Zionist tours for U.S. conservatives that foster anti-Muslim sentiments. Owens admits her own previous ignorance, shaped by such tours.
• Reflection on Charlie Kirk’s transformation: he and Candace were initially pro-Israel but “genuine in our support”—they simply believed what they were told.

[26:30–34:19] — Critique of Evangelical Zionism, Psy-ops, and The Charlie Kirk Case

• Candace uncovers the roots of evangelical Zionism via churches like Calvary Chapel, linking it to alleged "CIA operations" and mass psychological engineering of Americans.
• Bassem critiques the rhetoric of some American pastors teaching Christian children they’re less special than Jews.
• Both agree a “mass awakening” is underway due to revelations around Charlie Kirk’s death and subsequent censorship.
• Bassem critiques Charlie Kirk’s past Islamophobia and problematic public remarks, with Candace noting some tweets/posts weren’t personally authored.
• Candace admits that psychological operations and “trauma bonding” are methods of manipulation (ex: how Kirk’s widow allegedly used the staff’s trauma after his death).

[34:19–43:09] — Corruption, Scandal, & American Exceptionalism

• Discussion of infiltrations and coverups: security failures, Jeffrey Epstein’s Israel connections and subsequent media silence, Department of Homeland Security/ICE offices in Tel Aviv.
• Bassem: “They will not hide the truth – they will choose not to tell it.”
• On emotional propaganda: how horrific stories and over-the-top atrocity claims (“babies beheaded”, etc.) are wielded as narrative shock to stifle dissent.
• Bassem’s comedic viral clip on Piers Morgan is replayed [43:09]:

  “Israel always victimizes itself...It's like being in a relationship with a narcissistic psychopath.” “What is the going rate today for human lives?”
  (43:09)

[44:45–53:22] — State Violence, Security, and Manufactured Consent

• Owens questions: If you support those justifying violence abroad, do you think you or your children will be safe when they turn that power homeward?
• Bassem on tech billionaires' obsession with Israel—Peter Thiel, Larry Ellison (serving as donors, tech partners to IDF).
• Candace laments America’s role as 'empire':

  "It's not America, very clearly. It's an Israeli empire." (48:36)

• Both suggest: American people's power is being tested, and the illusion of participation (voting, speaking out) masks a deeper entrenchment of elite power.

[53:22–66:10] — Censorship, Red Lines, and Future Resistance

• Bassem: In the U.S., you can criticize everything except the “two blue lines with the star” (ref. to Israeli flag) — Zionism and Israel remain the ultimate taboo.
• Are things changing? Both discuss whether the U.S. public will ever revolt, or if increased brutality will follow as awareness grows.
• Bassem draws parallels to Third World repression, noting that the U.S. is becoming more like other authoritarian states, but smartly laundering it through the pretense of public discourse.
• Candace expresses optimism:

  "When they start showing up to doors...America’s a little ratchet. I’m not sure they’ll just take it." (56:15)

• Bassem, skeptical: "We've been saying for eight years it will never happen, but it's happening." (58:53)

[66:10–76:21] — Narcissism, Mind Control, and Social Engineering

• Conversation turns philosophical/psychological:
  Candace: “Maybe we don’t need a revolution; maybe we need an exorcist.” (62:08)
• Discussion of trauma-based mind control, sexual abuse in elite circles, and the apparent lack of empathy in power brokers—both suggest deep psychological/childhood roots for ‘psychopathy’ among elites.
• Repeated returns to Ben Shapiro, his “obsessions”, his “confident lying”, and micro-dynamics (his relationship with his father).

[76:21–84:33] — American Politics, Masculinity, and Media Control

• Satirical, dark asides: Bassem jokes as a proud American taxpayer, happy that his dream is "to pay taxes to sponsor Israel."
• Both vent about bipartisan support for Israel at the expense of American interests, homelessness, health care, etc.
• Candace: “America is not poor—the problem is it lacks self-respect. We are being like pushed around. It’s some sort of BDSM economics where we are their bitch.” (75:21)
• Reflection on social engineering and ‘attack on masculinity’ through food, water, media, and the promotion of identity politics as a means of division and distraction.

[84:33–89:12] — USS Liberty, Holes in Mainstream Narratives, Media Critique

• Audience Q&A: USS Liberty survivors, media collusion, and the failure of American journalism to report on major Israeli misdeeds.
• Bassem references Victor Ostrovsky’s book By Way of Deception recounting Mossad’s willingness to sacrifice Americans for Israeli interests; Owens interjects about Hollywood Babylon and media control strategies.
• Both skewer the media’s reliance on repeated denials:

  “There’s no evidence. There’s no evidence.” (89:04–89:24)

[89:12–97:51] — Black America, Resistance, and the ‘Ungovernable’

• Candace, in response to an audience comment, credits Black Americans' ‘ungovernability’ as key to resisting mass compliance (e.g., on vaccine mandates).
• On being fired by Daily Wire: "I’m not going to be governed to say it’s acceptable to mass murder children." (91:58)
• Both cite Candace’s interview with Rabbi Barclay (her “favorite Jew supremacist”), in which she says he inadvertently revealed the open logic of Jewish racial/religious supremacy.

[97:51–108:06] — Influence, Real Power, and the Awakening

• Debate: Does mass awakening threaten the power of those in control, even if the money and weapons are on their side?
• Bassem: “But if you have that much money to make the biggest country direct its weapon...maybe [the elites] don’t care [about popularity].” (98:25)
• Candace counters: The lack of true influence despite immense power is what panics them.
• Both agree comedians are crucial and note the viral impact of Bassem’s Piers Morgan appearance.

[108:06–end] — Personal Triumph, Call to Support, and Closing

• Bassem promotes his upcoming “Belly of the Beast” tour:

  "It's about my experience as an immigrant coming here and finding myself a citizen of the empire."

• Both discuss their parallel journeys of awakening—from inside the belly of the beast.
• Candace thanks Bassem, jokes about being targeted for lawsuits, and encourages the audience to support his tour and ongoing work.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bassem Youssef [03:09]:
  "Ben Shapiro is a very, very talented individual because he's a very confident liar. He just lies very easily. And he lies so good that I feel ashamed that I can't believe him."
• Candace Owens [10:06]:
  "They sued me for allowing a survivor to tell his story. And they were making it a psychic argument that I put him up to it."
• Candace Owens [13:09]:
  "To manufacture reality...we're willing to attack this guy twice. I mean, twice calling this guy a liar. Twice. And it's just. I couldn't believe it."
• Bassem Youssef [11:27]:
  "They are changing history in front of us right now. And I think this is not just about what happens in Palestine because of how people saw the gaslighting happening in real time and how the lying is happening in real time."
• Candace Owens [16:10]:
  "It's one big psychological operation. All of the movies they make, they make sure they get into the classroom. They're brainwashing your children to believe that they're always victims."
• Bassem Youssef [20:02]:
  "It's not a religion, it's a political philosophy. And that's why it's so important to separate it. Zionists are just tried and true psychopaths."
• Bassem Youssef on Ben Shapiro [04:04]:
  "If you slow him down, you'll get a normal voice, because as he speaks very quickly, the truth is still buffering."
• Candace Owens [75:21]:
  "We are being, like, pushed around. Like, this is some sort of BDSM economics where basically we're sponsoring them, but for somehow we are their bitch. This is like dominatrix kind of level of like, you know, like, slap my ass and take my money kind of thing."
• Candace Owens [99:13]:
  "I do not go halfway with defending pedophiles. Goodbye."
• Candace Owens [62:10]:
  "Maybe we don’t need a revolution; maybe we need an exorcist."

Important Timestamps

• 00:12–04:53: Satirical discussion about the 'Antisemite of the Year' and media censorship
• 10:06: Lawsuit for interviewing USS Liberty survivor
• 11:27–15:27: Historical revisionism, Hollywood as psychological op
• 26:30–30:47: Evangelical Zionism, Calvary Chapel Church as CIA project
• 43:09: Bassem’s viral Piers Morgan clip played
• 75:21: BDSM economics/metaphor for US-Israel relationship
• 99:13: Owens breaks with Trump, "No halfway with pedophiles"
• 106:27: Bassem promotes "Belly of the Beast" tour

Tone and Language

Throughout, the tone is highly irreverent, darkly comedic, and at times conspiratorial. Both Candace and Bassem are caustic, unfiltered, and lean into taboo-breaking. Language is direct—sometimes profane—and includes plenty of satire, self-mockery, and sardonic asides.

Conclusion

For listeners, this episode offers a rare, unguarded, and unsparing critique of sacred cows in both American and Israeli politics. It balances earnest confessions, personal arcs of awakening, and trenchant satire to question the very foundations of narrative power, consent, and complicity in the Western info-empire. Both hosts seem committed to uncovering and confronting propaganda, psychological manipulation, and elite abuse—regardless of personal consequence.