Candace Podcast (EP 296): “EXCLUSIVE: Leaked TPUSA Audio”

Host: Candace Owens
Date: January 28, 2026

Episode Overview

In this introspective, solo episode, Candace Owens addresses the controversy swirling around Turning Point USA (TPUSA) following the assassination of founder Charlie Kirk. Owens dissects a newly leaked audio recording of a company-wide Zoom call led by the new CEO and chairman, Erica Kirk (Charlie’s widow), less than two weeks after his death. The episode also investigates the origins and inner workings of TPUSA and its leadership, combining both direct evidentiary analysis and Owens’s personal commentary.

Key Discussion Points

1. Journalistic Duty & Public Scrutiny

[03:00] - [06:25]

• Candace expresses that few have deeply profiled Erica Kirk despite her sudden ascent to TPUSA leadership. She frames her investigative episodes as “basic journalism,” calling out the lack of scrutiny for someone heading a $250 million nonprofit.
• She uses an analogy of monarchy, noting that even in old England, inheritance typically goes to the son, not the widow.
• Quote:

  “It would be considered, probably back in my day, literal insanity to allow someone to take over the reins of an organization that quite literally relies on the goodwill of the public...and then apparently nobody's interested in doing a basic profile piece on the new chairman and CEO.” [04:40 – Candace Owens]

2. The Firing Controversy at TPUSA

[07:30] - [11:00]

• Candace highlights a wave of sudden firings at TPUSA, even among employees who worked “20-hour days” after the tragedy, with little to no explanation.
• She stresses that, as a 501(c)(3), public accountability is non-negotiable, regardless of cease and desist letters sent to critics or media.
• The leaked call surfaced via disgruntled, recently terminated employees.

3. Contextual Timeline around Charlie Kirk’s Death

[10:30] - [14:00]

• Candace lays out a detailed timeline:
  • Sept 10: Charlie Kirk’s assassination
  • Sept 18: Erica Kirk gives an in-person New York Times interview
  • Sept 20: Private Catholic funeral mass (for donors, not public)
  • Sept 21: Public stadium memorial event
  • Sept 22: Leaked Zoom call (the podcast’s centerpiece)
  • Private dinner later that day, described as “joyous” in attendee emails
• Candace notes the oddity of Erica’s rapid public activity (“moving pretty quickly to the acceptance phase”).

4. The Leaked Zoom Call: Tone, Content, and Reaction

A) Erica Kirk’s Opening Remarks
[11:54 – 14:59]

• Erica effusively thanks the staff for executing the memorial, citing:
  • 275,000+ attendees
  • 100 million hearing the “gospel and all about Charlie”
  • 200,000+ in merch sales
• Notes “20-hour days” for staff, and remarks:

  “You guys are breathing angels...I am so grateful.” [12:45 – Erica Kirk]

• Urges staff to “put to rest” all past grievances due to the “perspective” brought by Charlie’s death.
• Quote:

  “My husband dead. Like, I'm not trying to be morbid, but he's dead. And it puts life into perspective of how short life is and relationships...” [13:54 – Erica Kirk]

B) Candace’s In-The-Moment Reaction
[14:59 – 16:32]

• Candace and her live chat express discomfort, finding the upbeat, businesslike tone “off-putting”—especially Erica’s directness, laughter, and the quick pivot to metrics.
• Quote:

  “That is a sentence...I was able to utter least of all...that's moving pretty quickly to the acceptance phase...” [15:23 – Candace Owens]

C) On Grieving & Corporate Momentum [16:32 – 19:50]

• Erica highlights abundant staff support (counselors, pastors, therapy dogs, paid flights for spouses).
• Says staff needing more time should talk to their director about paid time off, but repeatedly emphasizes “full steam ahead.”
• Quote:

  “Grief comes in waves. You know, some days are going to be tougher than others...if you do need more time to grieve, please continue to use Turning Point USA's network of counselors...But...Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action, full steam ahead...” [16:32 – 19:05 – Erica Kirk]

D) Candace’s Critique

• Emphasizes that the message is: “It’s time to get back to work, Charlie would want that.”
• Questions the implicitly coercive environment for those still grieving:

  “Am I weird? Would I be like—I would be pretty weird if I needed to take time off? And his wife is saying she’s full steam ahead.” [19:50 – Candace Owens]

E) Planning Beyond 2025 – The “Vision 2030” Notebooks [21:41 – 23:02]

• Erica assures staff that “Charlie planned for the future,” referencing both “Vision 2025” and “Vision 2030.”
• She claims to have Charlie’s journals and to be executing his, and the board’s, plans with leadership.
• Stumbles, nearly says she’s “excited,” then reframes as having “peace.”

  “It’s weird to say I’m excited...I think it comes from a space of peace, knowing that God’s using this...” [23:02 – Erica Kirk]

5. Candace’s Overarching Assessment

[23:30 – 26:30]

• The mood of the call—and Erica’s demeanor—feels “off” and disconnected from the gravity of Charlie’s murder.
• Candace contrasts her own emotional fragility to the near-gleeful tone from leadership and mentions former staff described Erica in the office daily.
• Quote:

  “Now that we're getting more on the inside, the now-fired employees are telling me, ‘No, it was quite the opposite...’ Something is not right...the timing, the energy of that call does not feel right to me.” [23:54 – Candace Owens]

The Turning Point USA Origin Story – Re-examined

6. The “Truman Show” Theory, GATE Children & Military Connections

[26:45 – 34:30]

• Candace explores rumors Charlie Kirk attended a “gifted children’s school” (Creative Children’s Academy, later Quest Academy), near defense contractor Northrop Grumman.
• Suggests a pattern of government/military involvement:
  • Bill Montgomery, TPUSA co-founder, was Air Force Reserve, connected to Lincoln, Nebraska.
  • The school’s founders had links to the Shackley Corporation—an evangelical, multi-level-marketing supplement company, with NASA contracts (suspected “government money laundering”).
  • Suggests the early TPUSA network may have had deeper, older ties than publicly known.
• Cites “Project Monarch,” MK Ultra, and Operation Paperclip, drawing speculative links to mind control and imported Nazi scientists, reflecting her signature conspiratorial style.

7. Internet Sleuthing & The Lori Cardoza Moore Segment

[40:25 – 43:01]

• Candace credits internet sleuths (“DCIA – decentralized intelligence agency”) for unmasking Lori Cardoza Moore, a Christian Zionist who condemned Candace and others over Israel discourse.

• Plays Moore’s “romance hotline” acting tape to illustrate “hired actors” feigning faith for influence.

  • Quote:

    “It's almost like they just hired a bunch of actors to pretend to be Christians. That's the vibe.” [42:08 – Candace Owens]

• Notes further military ties in TPUSA’s associated vendors and in Cardoza Moore’s husband’s resume, calls for deeper crowd-sourced investigation.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote / Moment | |------------|-----------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:40 | Candace Owens | “It would be considered, probably back in my day, literal insanity to allow someone to take over the reins of an organization...and then...no interest in doing a basic profile piece on the new chairman and CEO.” | | 12:45 | Erica Kirk | “You guys are breathing angels, and I'm so grateful for all of you.” | | 13:54 | Erica Kirk | “My husband dead. Like, I'm not trying to be morbid, but he's dead.” | | 15:23 | Candace Owens | “That's moving pretty quickly to the acceptance phase...” | | 16:32 | Erica Kirk | “Grief comes in waves...take it as it comes...If you do need more time to grieve, please continue to use Turning Point USA’s network of counselors.” | | 19:50 | Candace Owens | “Am I weird?...I would be pretty weird if I needed to take time off and his wife is saying she's full steam ahead.” | | 21:41 | Erica Kirk | “The prophetic mind of my husband was that he always planned for the future...Vision 2025...Vision 2030...” | | 23:02 | Erica Kirk | “It’s weird to say I’m excited...I think it comes from a space of peace, knowing that God’s using this...” | | 23:54 | Candace Owens | “Something is not right. That's what I would like to say. That call...does not feel right to me.” | | 42:08 | Candace Owens | “It's almost like they just hired a bunch of actors to pretend to be Christians. That's the vibe.” |

Timeline of Critical Events

| Date | Event | |------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Sept 10 | Charlie Kirk assassinated | | Sept 18 | Erica Kirk’s in-person New York Times interview | | Sept 20 | Private Catholic funeral/mass (for donors, not public) | | Sept 21 | Public stadium memorial | | Sept 22 | Leaked TPUSA company-wide Zoom call (focus of this episode) | | Sept 22 | Private "joyous" dinner (Erica, McCoys, etc.) |

Listener Feedback Segment

[55:00+]

• Candace reads select listener comments:
  • Confusion over Erica firing staff after emphasizing “no one talks bad about [our] family”
  • Observations that Erica is “boring,” “elite,” and unlike the accessible, humble Charlie
  • Concern over statements about single motherhood being “the least traumatizing thing”
  • Listeners note they grieved Charlie more than his own colleagues seemed to
  • Questions around whether Charlie confided in Erica about threats and his visions

Quotes:

• “She [Erica] is unlikable on the surface because she acts elite. Goodbye, Turning Point USA.” [Listener comment, paraphrased by Candace]
• “It's traumatizing, full stop. It should traumatize you.” [adapting listener comments]

Tone & Style

• Candace’s tone: Unfiltered, skeptical, emotionally invested, conspiratorial yet self-aware, determined to crowdsource the truth.
• Content: Mixes firsthand reporting, leak analysis, personal reflection, and audience engagement; candid about her own biases and emotional reactions.
• Atmosphere: Intimate, investigative, at times combative toward TPUSA leadership, wary of manufactured narratives and institutional secrecy.

Conclusion

Candace Owens uses this episode to scrutinize not only TPUSA’s opaque post-Charlie Kirk management but also the broader origins and possible hidden influences shaping the organization. She openly questions the official stories, highlights the mismatch between private grief and public corporate messaging, and signals that her investigation is ongoing—with the assistance of her audience and internet investigators. The key takeaway is a sense that “something is not right” at Turning Point USA and the need for relentless public questioning of power, even (or especially) among alleged allies.

Memorable Moment:

“There's something about this story that I think makes us all feel like we're not safe. If they could do that to Charlie...what are we all doing?” [~1:07:45 – Candace Owens]

End of summary.