On August 14, right-wing podcaster Candace Owens and conservative online debater Andrew Wilson debated conspiracy theories surrounding Charl
Gideon Taaffe and Jack Wheatley at MMFA:
On August 14, right-wing podcaster Candace Owens and conservative online debater Andrew Wilson debated conspiracy theories surrounding Charlie Kirk’s killing in 2025, with the participants and moderator Patrick Bet-David receiving millions of combined views. In addition to the participants, dozens of other accounts capitalized on the debate by airing or reacting live to the event, amassing millions of additional views. A review by Media Matters found that Owens, Wilson, and Bet-David earned at least 7.2 million combined views across YouTube and Rumble for their livestreams of the debate as of August 17. Owens’ YouTube stream was the most watched, receiving over 4.7 million views. Media Matters also found at least 58 other YouTube and Rumble channels that aired or reacted live to the conspiracy theory-laden debate, earning at least 3.9 million total views. These channels included those of prominent right-wing podcasters like Steven Crowder, Tim Pool, and Brandon Tatum, as well as manosphere influencers like Myron Gaines and the Whatever podcast.
Kirk’s death has inspired a universe of conspiratorial content spinning out wild theories behind Kirk's shooting. As MS NOW’s Brandy Zadrozny explained, Owens is like “the sun” that “provides the gravitational pull that keeps the entire ‘who killed Charlie Kirk’ universe alive.” Zadrozny explained that Owens “has a stable of volunteers, part of what she calls the Candace Intelligence Agency,” which Zadrozny described as a “cottage industry of conspiracy theorists focused just on this case.” Owens “sits atop a network of online creators who feed off, amplify, and ultimately make money off each other,” she said.
The debate between right-wing influencers Candace Owens and Andrew Wilson, moderated by fellow right-wing hack Patrick Bet-David, over the role of conspiracy theories regarding Charlie Kirk's death brought millions of views on the YouTube and Rumble channels of various right-wing influencers.
