The big shakeup in conservative podcasting

Candace Owens is out at The Daily Wire after being accused of spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories. She will relaunch her show on her personal YouTube channel.

This one was months in the making. Conservative outlet The Daily Wire (TDW) has parted ways with Candace Owens, the buzzy (and controversial) podcaster who has been criticized in recent months for spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories. Her departure marks a turning point for The Daily Wire, long the dominant name in right-wing podcasting, and indicates that the space may be moving in a direction away from its brand of conservatism.

The relationship between Owens and TDW started to sour after the October 7th Hamas attack in Israel. Ben Shapiro, co-owner of TDW and the network’s biggest star, is staunchly pro-Israel, while Owens is decidedly not. In November, video started circulating of him calling her commentary on the war “disgraceful,” prompting a very public fight that, while messy, did not immediately end in her departure.

The issue reignited this week as Owens has become less shy about saying any number of things about Jewish people (none of them good!), so much so that she earned the praise of white supremacist Nick Fuentes, according to Media Matters. The report caught the attention of the Anti-Defamation League, and it blew up from there. Friday morning, TDW CEO Jeremy Boreing posted on X that “Daily Wire and Candace Owens have ended their relationship.”