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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Chelsie Napiza

Famous Influencers Were Allegedly Paid on a Smear Campaign Against 'Demonic' Candace Owens

A fake 'leaked email' claiming that Turning Point USA paid right-wing influencers to brand Candace Owens 'demonic' has been debunked, but the bitter conservative civil war that spawned it is entirely real.

The viral claim began circulating on X on 25 February 2026, just as the 36-year-old podcaster was preparing to release the first episode of her multi-part YouTube series, Bride of Charlie: An Investigative Series, which targets Erika Kirk, widow of the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and the organisation's current chief executive.

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