Candace Ep 323: Trump Attacks The Pope. The Tyler Robinson Narrative Collapses. Candace Owens | April 13, 2026

Episode Overview: In this solo episode, Candace Owens returns after a short break to tackle major headlines and controversies shaking the right-wing and Christian spheres. Her focus spans Donald Trump’s unprecedented rhetorical attack on Pope Leo XIV, new revelations on the Tyler Robinson case that undermine the federal prosecution’s story, and further exposure of alleged corruption within Turning Point USA and its interconnections with The Daily Wire and other prominent conservative figures.

Owens mixes some personal anecdotes with her signature unfiltered commentary as she delves into what she describes as “collapsing narratives,” power plays within the conservative movement, and her ongoing feud with Ben Shapiro and Erica Kirk.

Table of Contents

1. Candace’s Personal Anecdote & Set-Up [00:30–08:40]
2. Donor Testimony Destroys Turning Point’s “Erica Appointed” Narrative [08:40–16:00]
3. The Ben Shapiro–Erica Kirk Alliance & Ongoing Feud [16:00–24:50]
4. Breaking Down the Tyler Robinson Case & Its Collapse [24:50–46:00]
5. Discord vs. iMessage Lie & Evidence Issues [42:43–47:30]
6. Trump’s Rant Against the Pope: Recap & Consequences [54:30–63:00]
7. Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments
8. Key Timestamps

1. Candace’s Personal Anecdote & Set-Up [00:30–08:40]

• Candace opens with a recap of her “sitcom-like” weekend, broken foot included, and an unexpectedly heated playground encounter with Daily Wire’s Cabot Phillips.
• She humorously describes the absurdity of their interaction, including Phillips’ accusations and showing her an inside-lip tattoo, all while both their toddlers end up playing together.
• Notable Quote:
  “My life is a sitcom. I sometimes believe I could be a Sims character and someone's having a lot of fun.” [01:35–01:50]
• Closes this section by clearing any rumors about Cabot’s paternity and underscores that her life is strange and unpredictable.

2. Donor Testimony Destroys Turning Point’s “Erica Appointed” Narrative [08:40–16:00]

• Candace pivots to breaking news: two donors, present at the Aspen Turning Point retreat, independently confirm that Charlie Kirk never announced he wanted his wife Erica to succeed him as CEO/chairman weeks before his death.
• Turning Point repeatedly refused to release the supposed video of this moment, offering only audio.
• Donors’ shock implicates possible fabrication—maybe even the use of AI to mimic Charlie’s voice (what Candace and others dub “Charlie GPT”).
• Candace plays clips of Turning Point execs discussing the “Charlie GPT” idea, suggesting that AI voice fakes were considered prior to Charlie’s death.
• Notable Quote:
  “It just makes no sense beyond anything else. I just want you to feel free to be able to produce sense. That’s—That’s kind of the point of my whole podcast. It’s okay to have common sense and to not rely on experts. They're increasingly stupid.” [10:47–11:02]

3. The Ben Shapiro–Erica Kirk Alliance & Ongoing Feud [16:00–24:50]

• Candace details escalating evidence that Ben Shapiro and Erica Kirk have joined forces—allegedly weaponizing Christian legal powerhouse Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) to potentially sue Candace.
• Claims Daily Wire CEO Caleb Robinson is now quietly on ADF’s board, likely as Shapiro’s proxy, and Shapiro is orchestrating campaigns against her.
• Hints at a troublingly “obsessive” (and possibly dangerous) fixation Shapiro holds toward her, stating she’s been “gang-stalked” since her public split with The Daily Wire.
• Notable Quotes:
  “There is something about him that feels dangerous and I will leave it at that.” [25:00]
  “If you’re going to talk about Alliance Defending Freedom or people that are helping Christians, there should be an organization that is dedicated to protecting employees or former employees or former contractors from this level of nonstop, consistent harassment and focus and obsession. Just fire someone.” [24:30]

4. Breaking Down the Tyler Robinson Case & Its Collapse [24:50–46:00]

• Candace breaks new ground, thanks to filings uncovered by Baron Coleman:
  • The timeline in federal narratives is collapsing. Official claims that Tyler was still at large during a certain period are contradicted by his already being Mirandized and in custody by 6:25 pm on 9/11.
  • Initial reports claimed Tyler Robinson was picked up in Warner Valley, buying a gun, which was likely staged or misrepresented.
  • The “33-hour” narrative given by authorities—possibly signaling Masonic symbolism—appears entirely constructed.
• She explains how the authorities shifted the claimed origin of key messages from Discord to iMessage after Discord denied involvement.
• The prosecution is refusing to present forensic evidence of alleged text messages between Tyler and his roommate, relying only on phone photographs.
• Candace suggests Tyler was set up as a “patsy,” with the roommate Lance acting as a likely federal asset.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “It does, however, intend to offer two exhibits which used cameras to record the contents of text messages. So we’re going to show you our recording of Lance’s phone, but we’re not going to present any forensic evidence that what we showed you is real. This is unbelievably problematic. It’s a setup, okay?” [46:00]

5. Discord vs. iMessage Lie & Evidence Issues [42:43–47:30]

• Candace plays audio of Governor Cox originally stating the police found messages on Discord—information publicly corrected by Discord itself.
• Prosecution now says it will not use forensically extracted electronic evidence, just screenshots or photos—raising huge red flags about authenticity and chain of custody.
• She emphasizes this breach of evidentiary standards and infers a coverup.

6. Trump’s Rant Against the Pope: Recap & Consequences [54:30–63:00]

• Trump attacks Pope Leo XIV (the first time something like this happened since 1981), accusing the pontiff of being “weak on crime,” “terrible for foreign policy,” and irresponsible (“doesn’t think we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon”).
• Candace critiques Trump’s narcissism, questions the sanity of Trump’s inner circle—including Laura Loomer and Paula White, and calls Trump's “doctor” excuse for an AI image of himself as Christ laughable.
• Plays audio of Pope Leo calmly reiterating his mission for peace (“Blessed are the peacemakers”) and refusing to engage in a political spat.
• Trump, in a follow-up interview, claims the controversial Christ image was actually him depicted as a Red Cross doctor:
  • “It wasn’t depiction. It was me. I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with Red Cross... I make people better. I make people a lot better.” [62:01–62:31]
• Candace closes by calling Trump’s behavior “truly under demonic influence,” insisting that “Catholics in general can't support Trump” after these events.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “You cannot be that narcissistic, can you? … I think he is.” [56:50]

7. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Cabot Phillips at the Playground:
  “Four kids, a broken foot, the inside of Cabot's bottom lip, all happening in like 85 degree muggy weather. There's just no justice in this world. I want you guys to understand, I was a victim.” [08:05]
• On Turning Point USA’s “AI” Evidence:
  “That right there, it turns out, might be Charlie GPT. A term, by the way, that you should know was first uttered... by our guy, Andrew Colvett.” [13:35]
• On Tyler Robinson Case:
  “It does, however, intend to offer two exhibits which used cameras to record the contents of text messages. So we’re going to show you our recording of Lance’s phone, but we’re not going to present any forensic evidence that what we showed you is real. This is unbelievably problematic. It’s a setup, okay?” [46:00]
• On Shapiro:
  “There is something about him that feels dangerous and I will leave it at that.” [25:00]
• On Trump’s AI Christ Image:
  “He thought he was a Red Cross doctor... So that's why he posted it. Because, like, obviously he—he was—What year was that? Actually, he was a doctor. ... Wow. Where—It's not coming up for us that Trump was ever a doctor.” [62:31]
• Pope Leo’s Response (English, not dubbed):
  “I basically said that the message of the church, my message, the message of the gospel—blessed are the peacemakers. ... Too many people are suffering in the world today. ... I will continue to speak out loudly against war...” [58:50–59:34]

8. Key Timestamps

• Opening Personal Anecdote: 00:30–08:40
• Turning Point/Erica Appointment Narrative: 08:40–16:00
• AI "Charlie GPT" and Clip: 13:33–15:02
• Ben Shapiro–Erica Kirk Plotting/ADF Expose: 16:00–24:50
• Tyler Robinson Timeline and Collapsing Narrative: 24:50–46:00
• Discord vs iMessage Lie: 42:43–47:30
• Trump’s Attacks on the Pope Context: 54:30–60:00
• Pope’s Response: 58:50–59:34
• Trump’s “Doctor” Excuse (AI Christ Image): 62:01–62:31

Summary Tone:
True to Candace’s style, the episode is brash, irreverent, highly skeptical of establishment narratives, and deeply personal. She weaves her usual comedic asides (often at her own expense or at the expense of her enemies), but maintains a persistent focus on uncovering inconsistencies, alleged corruption, and what she calls “fed slop.” Her main drive is to question mainstream right-wing consensus on both cultural/faith issues and criminal investigations within the movement.

For first-time listeners:
This episode offers key insight into Candace’s ongoing disputes with the conservative establishment, including strong allegations of deceit, abuse of power, and even potential criminal setups. The episode is highly critical of Trump’s religious posturing, the integrity of Turning Point USA post-Charlie Kirk, and the weaponization of institutions (legal and media) within the right.