The prominent American conservative commentator, Charlie Kirk, faced immense pressure from Jewish donors in the days before his assassination, according to private messages published by former ally Candace Owens.
Owens shared screenshots on her YouTube channel showing messages allegedly written by Kirk in a private group chat.
In the messages, Kirk complained about losing funding after he refused to disinvite the prominent conservative journalist Tucker Carlson from an upcoming event.
“Just lost another huge Jewish donor. $2 million a year because we won’t cancel Tucker,” the text attributed to Kirk reads.
Owens said that funding cuts came after Kirk hosted guests critical of Israel, and that the messages suggested he was considering leaving the pro-Israel cause.
One message read: “Leaving me no choice but to leave the pro Israel cause.”
Owens also said both she and Carlson faced harassment for trying to “speak the truth” about Kirk’s assassination.
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Kirk, 31, was shot dead on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University. Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested shortly after and remains in custody.
Kirk’s criticism of Israel had become more vocal in private before his death. Carlson, appearing on his program on September 17, said: “He did not like Bibi Netanyahu and he said that to me many times and he said to people around him many times. He felt that Bibi Netanyahu was a very destructive force.”
Carlson added that Kirk believed Netanyahu uses the U.S. to fight wars serving Israel’s interests and described it as “shameful and humiliating.”
He said: “There was a small, very intense group who tormented Charlie Kirk until the day he died.”
Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet confirmed the authenticity of the screenshots shared by Owens, saying:“That was a text grab, a screen grab, that I had shared with people, so it is authentic.”
Kolvet said he initially withheld the messages to respect Kirk’s privacy but shared them with officials after the assassination to “leave no stone unturned.”
Islamophobic rhetoric
Kirk was the founder and leader of Turning Point USA, an organisation promoting conservative Christian values on high school and college campuses.
He was an evangelical Christian and a prominent figure in the Trump MAGA movement.
His views aligned with evangelical Christian Zionism, emphasising Israel’s “right to exist,” self-defence and biblical significance, while portraying Palestinians and Muslims as existential threats.
Kirk long championed Israel as a key U.S. ally and a “moral beacon” in the Middle East. He visited Israel in 2019 on a fact-finding tour, which he described as “eye-opening,” claiming it exposed media biases against the country.
He repeatedly called Israel “special” and argued that it cannot survive under Muslim rule due to historical and ideological incompatibilities.
On the other hand, Kirk’s commentary on Palestinians was critical and generalised, portraying them as unwilling to coexist with Israel and complicit in violence through support for Hamas or rejection of peace offers.
He argued that Palestinian grievances were exaggerated by media and activists and dismissed claims of Israeli occupation or settler colonialism as ahistorical.
He rubbished claims of famine in Gaza, sharing videos of aid trucks and arguing that Hamas and the UN hinder distribution. In July 2025, he posted: “No, Israel is not starving Gazans.”
Assassination conspiracy
Given Kirk’s widespread influence in American politics and his potential future as a presidential contender, many argue that had he, like his former allies Owens and Carlson, openly turned against Israel, it could have weakened the pro-Israel voice within the American conservative movement.
The circumstances surrounding Kirk’s death have fuelled various speculations and conspiracy theories.
Some observers, including Candace Owens, have implied in interviews and social media posts that Kirk’s death may have been linked to his growing criticism of Israel and tensions with major donors.
While she stops short of making a direct accusation, Owens suggested that the withdrawal of funding after Kirk hosted Israel-critical voices like Tucker Carlson created a climate of pressure and hostility that preceded his assassination.
