Podcast Summary: Candace – "DEFCON 3: Ben Shapiro’s Legacy of No-Nos" | Ep. 286

Host: Candace Owens
Date: January 7, 2026
Theme: Candace Owens delivers a candid, solo episode detailing her battles with The Daily Wire, Ben Shapiro, and their alleged behind-the-scenes machinations. She discusses attempts to publicly ridicule her via new media projects, shares details about Turning Point USA, and doubles down on suspicions regarding the death of Charlie Kirk. Candace positions herself as an embattled truth-teller refusing to succumb to organized pressure.

Overview

Candace Owens uses this episode to lay out her personal narrative of ongoing persecution and career sabotage orchestrated by Ben Shapiro and The Daily Wire after her departure from the company. She provides a granular account of attempts to marginalize her within conservative media, the creation of projects intended to mock her, and broader implications for the landscape of right-wing politics post-Charlie Kirk. The episode also ventures into the origins of The Daily Wire, alleged manipulations, and the culture of loyalty-demanding cliques within media power structures.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Revisiting the "DEFCON 3" Meme & Personal Fallout

• Kanye West's 2022 Tweets:

  • Candace opens by referencing Kanye West’s infamous “DEFCON 3 on Jewish people” tweet and recasts it as a prophetic warning about “blackballing” in the industry.
    • "Kanye was right... He told us... he had plans because he was going to go DEFCON 3 on Jewish people... It was too soon. But boy, oh boy, was he right about blackballing people who are opposed to a specific agenda." ([00:15])

• Her Own Blackballing:

  • Candace says she’s faced two years of sustained attacks and blacklisting after leaving The Daily Wire, with most details unknown to the public.

2. The Daily Wire’s Alleged Vendetta & Mockery Campaign

• New Show Targeting Candace & Tucker Carlson:

  • Owens reveals that The Daily Wire attempted to launch a show expressly intended to mock her and Tucker, recruiting young hosts willing to participate.

  • Leaked Audition Email:

    • Candace reads an email from Maggie Wagner, a would-be host, detailing how the show’s audition was focused solely on mocking Candace and Tucker.

    • Maggie, choosing integrity over opportunity, refused to take part.

      "The entire show audition was making fun of you. I watch you every day. You genuinely seem like you care so much about the truth... It just felt like high school bullies." — Maggie Wagner ([08:38], paraphrased by Candace)

  • AI Demo Clip:

    • Candace plays an AI-generated video prototype of the proposed show, highlighting its surreal focus on conspiracy, coded jokes, and direct attacks.
    • "There's imminent danger coming. Weird underground bee farmers. Like a Polish Communist underground symbol. The evidence is overwhelming. The connections are undeniable." ([10:03]).

• Casting Tactics:

  • Young, ambitious Christians were allegedly targeted and financially pressured to participate, with explicit mandates to attack Owens and Carlson.
    • "It's required if we're going to give you a show. We can make you a star, but you have to be willing to attack Candace Owens." ([11:38])

• Reaction to Maggie Wagner’s Integrity:

  • Candace praises Maggie for refusing, urging listeners to follow her and reward her integrity.
    • "I hope she gets 3 million followers by the end of this episode... for being a decent human being." ([13:40])

3. Describing The Daily Wire’s and Ben Shapiro’s Corporate Culture

• The “Gang” Analogy:

  • Candace likens her departure from The Daily Wire to “leaving a gang,” enduring ongoing punishment for attempting to exit.

    "It feels like I left a gang... You want to leave the Bloods, you want to leave the Crips... we're gonna beat you within an inch of your life. That's what it feels like. And they've been beating me for two years now." ([15:28])

• Reasons for Her Firing:

  • Public opposition to genocide and criticism of pornography cited as “impractical stances.”
    • Candace says she was punished for speculating about Hollywood being run by a gang, which she suggests only reinforced her suspicions.

• Allegations Against Ben Shapiro:

  • Candace outlines a pattern of hostile takeovers, manipulation, and leveraging of tragedies (Andrew Breitbart, Charlie Kirk) for personal and professional gain.
  • Cites Steve Bannon’s Amfest quote:

    "But Ben Shapiro is like a cancer... He tried to take over Breitbart, and I ran him out of there. He tried to take over David Horowitz, who was his mentor... Mark my word, he will make a move on Turning Point, because he's always been envious of Charlie Kirk." — Steve Bannon ([18:08])

4. The Origins of The Daily Wire: The Breitbart Scandal

• The Michelle Fields/Corey Lewandowski Incident:

  • Candace dives deep into Ben Shapiro’s departure from Breitbart in 2016, framing it as a manufactured scandal intended to sap energy away from Breitbart and catalyze The Daily Wire’s growth.

  • Highlights alleged personal relationships behind the scenes (Jamie Weinstein, Michelle Fields’ husband) and insinuates a calculated rather than principled exit.

    "They needed a scandal, okay? And they decided to do that... to attack a at the time, very conservative movement and to turn it into neocon central." ([28:10])

• Pattern of Hostile Takeovers:

  • Candace links this modus operandi to current actions against Turning Point USA and even her own media ventures.

5. The Charlie Kirk Suspicion and Its Spiritual Dimensions

• Ongoing Investigation:

  • Maintains her position that Charlie Kirk was betrayed and likely murdered, with Shapiro playing an outsized, suspicious role.

  • Describes Kirk’s longstanding premonitions about his own early death, prophetic dreams, and coded warnings.

    "There are so many messages like this... It's such a nonsense and it is so ironic to have people then mock me for saying that I had a dream... It's not a dream to me. It's like a prophecy. It's like Charlie was betrayed." ([46:15])

• Media and Narrative Control:

  • Expresses frustration at being ridiculed for her conviction, tying it to a broader societal push to invalidate personal revelation and intuition.

6. Turning Point USA & Tyler Boyer’s Shadowy Influence

• Latest Turning Point Scandal:

  • Briefly shifts to news of a Turning Point Action employee, Austin Smith, being sentenced for forged signatures and other fraudulent activities in Arizona politics.

    "Tyler Boyer needs to be looked at and investigated further... If you're willing to commit fraud... you're probably not against doing that everywhere you work." ([47:50])

• Missing Money and Internal Corruption:

  • Mentions insider tips about missing funds from Turning Point Action and suspicions that Charlie Kirk learned disturbing truths shortly before his death.

7. Final Rally: Standing Against “Gang Tactics” and Media Corruption

• Candace’s Guiding Principles:

  • Reiterates her loyalty to friends, unwillingness to betray contacts (referring back to refusing to denounce Kanye West), and commitment to truth over money.

    "Most of the world considers me to be a formidable enemy, but actually, the reality is I'm a very formidable friend." ([44:00])

• Message of Hope & Call to Action:

  • Urges her audience to reward integrity (especially Maggie Wagner), resist coercion, and join her quest for truth.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote & Attribution | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:15 | "Kanye was right... It was too soon. But boy, oh boy, was he right about blackballing people..." — Candace| | 10:03 | "There's imminent danger coming. Weird underground bee farmers... the connections are undeniable." — AI Sample| | 11:38 | "It's required if we're going to give you a show. We can make you a star, but you have to be willing to attack Candace Owens." — Candace, paraphrasing Daily Wire producer | | 13:40 | "I hope she gets 3 million followers by the end of this episode... for being a decent human being." — Candace | | 15:28 | "It feels like I left a gang... they've been beating me for two years now." — Candace | | 18:08 | "But Ben Shapiro is like a cancer, and that cancer spreads. ... Mark my word, he will make a move on Turning Point, because he's always been envious of Charlie Kirk." — Steve Bannon | | 28:10 | "They needed a scandal... decided to attack a at-the-time, very conservative movement and to turn it into neocon central." — Candace | | 44:00 | "Most of the world considers me to be a formidable enemy, but actually, the reality is I'm a very formidable friend." — Candace | | 46:15 | "There are so many messages like this... It's not a dream to me. It's like a prophecy. It's like Charlie was betrayed." — Candace | | 47:50 | "Tyler Boyer needs to be looked at and investigated further..." — Candace |

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00] – Opening: Revisiting the Kanye/DEFCON 3 controversy, setting the theme of blackballing.
• [06:00] – The Daily Wire’s obsession and attempts to launch a mockery show.
• [08:38] – Reading of the audition email by Maggie Wagner.
• [10:03] – Airing of the AI demo/mockery reel.
• [13:40] – Identification and praise for Maggie Wagner’s integrity.
• [15:28] – "Leaving a gang": Candace’s analogy for her ongoing ordeal.
• [18:08] – Steve Bannon’s remarks on Ben Shapiro.
• [28:10] – Deep dive: Ben Shapiro’s exit from Breitbart and founding of Daily Wire.
• [44:00] – Candace's refusal to denounce Kanye West/lesson on loyalty.
• [46:15] – Charlie Kirk’s dreams, prophecies, and suspicions.
• [47:50] – Turning Point USA/Austin Smith’s legal trouble/Tyler Boyer’s shadow.

Tone & Language

• Candace's tone is combative, confessional, and emotionally charged—mixing personal vulnerability with righteous indignation.
• The language is direct, sometimes mocking toward adversaries, and steeped in conspiratorial suspicion.
• Urges audience solidarity, validation for believing unconventional narratives, and active support of virtuous actors (e.g., Maggie Wagner).

Conclusion

This episode is a highly personal exposé on Candace Owens's claims that conservative media, especially Ben Shapiro and The Daily Wire, operate like a ruthless and vindictive “gang”—stifling dissent, manipulating narratives, and punishing defectors. She frames her current role as a courageous truth-seeker, refusing deliverance for money, calling out what she sees as corruption, and defending the legacies and mysteries surrounding Charlie Kirk and others. The episode is also interspersed with calls for action, repeated encouragement of Maggie Wagner, and a spiritual undertone about loyalty, prophecy, and justice.