I can’t say I am surprised to see it finally happen. Jeremy Boreing, the CEO of the Daily Wire, announced that Candace Owens and the company have parted ways.
No more details were released.
Daily Wire and Candace Owens have ended their relationship.
— Jeremy Boreing (@JeremyDBoreing) March 22, 2024
As an avid fan of the Daily Wire, I have been following the rocky relationship between Owens and Ben Shapiro since the Hamas attacks of 10/7. Owens has been a harsh critic of Israel’s response to the terrorist attacks, and Shapiro is, of course, a strong supporter of Israel and its war against Hamas.
The rumors are true— I am finally free.
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There will be many announcements in the weeks to come. 🇺🇸✝️
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) March 22, 2024
There has been lots of speculation over the past few months about whether Owens would be fired, and Shapiro had invited Owens to quit during a Twitter spat between the two. Each has been open about their disagreements. Shapiro has called her behavior “disgraceful” and Owens suggested that Shapiro’s character is lacking.
“The question is about Candace Owens…Her behavior during this has been disgraceful, without a doubt.”
Ben Shapiro criticizes Owens, who works at his company, over her anti-Israel views.
Where was he when she praised Hitler? Or when she defended Kanye West’s anti-Semitism? pic.twitter.com/Y7c4ig79bu
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) November 14, 2023
Owens has always had a more populist appeal than the other Daily Wire hosts, and her views are much more eclectic. For instance, she has been a strong defender of Andrew Tate and sought to absolve him from some of his more outrageous behavior and attitudes.
I admit to not liking her commentary, which I found rather out of keeping with the other Daily Wire hosts. I just chose not to watch her shows. I like the other hosts quite a bit, and there is no question that there is significant diversity among their views.
You have been acting unprofessional and emotionally unhinged for weeks now. And we have all had to sit back and allow it and have all tried to exercise exceeding understanding for your raw emotion.
But you cross a certain line when you come for scripture and read yourself into…
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) November 15, 2023
Most people assume that the ideological differences between Owens and Shapiro triggered the separation, and given the personal tensions that arose, they undoubtedly played a role. However, until we hear from all the parties—assuming we do—I think it is premature to assume that was the only reason.
Owens hasn’t just been outspoken about her views; she has arguably been aggressive in attacking the founder of the company she works for. That is generally understood to be a risky move.
“I can’t respond to it beyond what he’s saying because they are just ad-hominem attacks,” she told Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson. “I can’t respond to it on a level of intellect because there’s nothing that he has expressed, at least in that short clip, that he fundamentally disagrees with in terms of what I said … If that was me that was caught on a video saying that about colleagues I work with, I would be embarrassed. So I think that the video speaks more to Ben’s character than it speaks to mine.”
Still, Owens remained working at the Daily Wire for months despite this conflict, so it’s not clear yet what triggered her departure. Of course, there is a lot of speculation, but that is all it is at the moment.
The Daily Wire has been in a couple of spats with prominent conservatives recently, most notably with Stephen Crowder, who accused the company of being “Big Con” after he refused an offer to join the company. In that case, Crowder behaved very badly in my judgment–the Daily Wire had offered him tens of millions of dollars to join the company, but he thought the offer was insulting.
TPM’s @MrAndyNgo tells Dave Rubin @RubinReport: “I think some people were surprised that Daily Wire had maintained a business relationship with [Candace Owens] for as long as it did, given that there have been many months of pretty controversial statements.” pic.twitter.com/wRxscR6rdJ
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) March 22, 2024
Crowder is a talent, of course, but an offer of between 50 and 100 million dollars is hardly insulting for a person whose alternative was striking out on his own. And given Crowder’s inability to work and play well with others, I am glad he didn’t get hired. He is probably better suited to being on his own.
Owens fans are screaming “Censorship!,” but that strikes me as absurd on its face. Personal tensions alone are sufficient to explain the separation. Disparaging the character of the man who signs your checks is usually enough to get you fired, and in Candace’s case, it didn’t, at least not immediately.
Until we hear more there isn’t much left to say. Stay tuned.
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