Charlie Kirk’s pastor, Rob McCoy, sharply criticised Candace Owens for promoting unverified conspiracy theories about Kirk’s death, urging her to honour their relationship instead of amplifying rumors.
Pastor Rob McCoy, who led the faith division of Turning Point USA and was a friend and pastor to Charlie Kirk, has publicly rebuked Candace Owens for spreading conspiracy theories in the wake of Kirk’s death. McCoy clarified that while Kirk disagreed with Owens on certain issues, he “never publicly spoke poorly of her.”
In a statement released Tuesday, McCoy said, “Charlie Kirk was my friend and I was his pastor. I want to simply say this regarding Candace Owens: Charlie Kirk was a friend to Candace and never publicly spoke poorly of her though he disagreed with her.” He contrasted this with what he described as Owens’s behavior after Kirk’s assassination, saying, “I only wish at this tragic time of mourning she would be the friend to Charlie that he was to her.”
Following Kirk’s politically motivated killing in Utah, Owens amplified theories suggesting Kirk was being pressured to alter his stance on Israel. She claimed that Bill Ackman staged an “intervention” in the Hamptons and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to persuade Kirk to return to a more pro-Israel position.
Both Ackman and Andrew Kolvet, Kirk’s executive producer, have denied Owens’s claims. Ackman called her statements “slanderous,” insisting no threats were made and that the meeting was cordial.