Turning Point USA, the right-wing youth advocacy organization founded and run by Charlie Kirk, is operating a secret website distancing itself and Kirk from Candace Owens, the controversial former employee that TPUSA continues to associate itself with despite her recent embrace of overtly anti-Semitic rhetoric.

The website can be found at the domain https://israel.tpusa.com/ and its header reads “TPUSA Stands With Israel.”

The rest of the page is dedicated to expressing Kirk and TPUSA’s affinity for Israel and stressing the fact that Owens does not represent either the organization or its founder.

“Below we provide a list of articles and videos so that you can fully understand Charlie’s and Turning Point USA’s unapologetic support of Israel and the Jewish people. Charlie is one of the most vocal supporters of Israel in this country. I hope these videos and links help clear up any questions you may have,” it states. “As a reminder, Charlie is not Candace, and Candace is not a TPUSA employee. If you have specific questions about Candace’s comments or views, we suggest you contact her directly.”

It continues:

Charlie has been to Israel twice, and Israel and the Jewish people hold a special place in his heart. Additionally, it is worth noting that TPUSA as an organization supports Israel in a number of ways including, but not limited to: Hosting an annual Young Jewish Leadership Summit; Sending 100+ students to Israel for educational trips; Sending an Israel-specific ‘Activism Kit’ to hundreds of high school and college campuses each semester; Welcoming Dennis Prager and other Jewish thought-leaders to our national events; and Hosting pro-Israel social media trainings for TPUSA ambassadors and online influencers.

There are also several videos of Kirk expressing his support for Israel embedded on the page.

In a statement delivered to Mediaite, TPUSA spokesman Andrew Kolvet confirmed the authenticity of the page — which internet archives indicate has existed since at least April 20 — but did not expand upon its purpose. “We love Israel and Candace,” said Kolvet.

How to explain its existence then? Occam’s razor would suggest that TPUSA would like to continue to reap the benefits of its professional relationship with Owens while using the page to assure conservative donors, the vast majority of whom continue to support Israel, that it is not an anti-Israel organization.

That’s a tough argument to make, however, given the content that can be found on the organization’s main website, which uses Owens’s name, likeness, and words to secure donations, identifies her as a member of its executive team, and features her on its homepage.

 

On X, TPUSA also frequently promotes Owens, who is slated to speak at the organization’s upcoming Young Women’s Leadership Summit and appears to currently be on campus tour for the organization.

Are you ready, LADIES!? Our latest #YWLS2024 speaker drop is one for the books!

Join us June 7th-9th in San Antonio, TX, for the nation’s LARGEST gathering of young, conservative women! Head over to https://t.co/Z96ozRGJKG to register! pic.twitter.com/yIVGLlpL84

— Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) April 24, 2024

Catch @RealCandaceO TOMORROW at the University of Alabama https://t.co/JAsev44Foi pic.twitter.com/Zv8Z0CNWxq

— Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) April 24, 2024

Moreover, as tensions heated up between Owens and Daily Wire founding editor Ben Shapiro over Israel last fall, Kirk brought Owens on his show, where he characterized Shapiro’s behavior as “totally out of line” and incredulously asked what Shapiro meant when he accused her of modeling “faux sophistication” on the issue of Israel.

“I call balls and strikes where I see it and Candace, I think it’s been super unfair the way some people have been treating you — really unfair,” said Kirk.

Owens was fired by The Daily Wire in March after a number of incidents, including one in which she inveighed against “political Jews” and another in which she expressed concern over a small, “sinister” “ring” of Jews exercising power in Hollywood. Owens resigned from her position of communications director at TPUSA in 2019 after spending less than two years in the role. TPUSA still oversees BLEXIT, an initiative co-founded by Owens.

TPUSA has not yet responded to an inquiry about whether Kirk was personally aware of the secret website’s existence.

The post Exclusive: Turning Point USA Is Operating A Secret Website Distancing Itself from Candace Owens first appeared on Mediaite.

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