A public dispute has erupted between political commentator Candace Owens and Blake Neff over claims about who was chosen to succeed Charlie Kirk as head of Turning Point USA.
The argument began after Neff shared a post on X on April 1, recounting an interaction at an event at Arizona State University (ASU).
According to Neff, a question was raised about the organisation’s leadership following Kirk’s death, and he insisted there was “no doubt” about the successor.
In a video attached to the post, Neff said that while Kirk was alive, concerns were occasionally raised about his safety. He described Kirk as “totally fearless” and claimed the TPUSA founder would say that Erika Kirk would “take over for him.”
Owens demands video proof
Owens, who has repeatedly questioned Erika Kirk’s leadership, responded by asking Neff to release direct video evidence of Charlie Kirk naming his successor.
{{/usCountry}}Owens, who has repeatedly questioned Erika Kirk’s leadership, responded by asking Neff to release direct video evidence of Charlie Kirk naming his successor.
{{/usCountry}}In one post, Owens wrote: “Please just say April Fools, bro. This is so stupid that it hurts but you have a few hours left to claim it was a joke.”
She further questioned the claim in another post, asking, “Are we buying this?” and raising doubts about why such a video, if it exists, has not been publicly released.
Owens also criticised the explanation offered for withholding the footage, writing: “So to understand this better, they are keeping the video footage of Charlie Kirk—a mere weeks before his death—naming Erika as the person he wants to take over the company, because the video might incite psychopathic predators. But the audio? That was Erika’s walk-out music.”
Neff hits back, dismisses ‘good faith’ debate
Neff responded sharply to Owens’ demands, arguing that the decision not to release video footage was deliberate.
He claimed that “psychopathic predators” like Owens “do not care” about the truth, defending the organisation’s stance.
He also criticised Owens for what he described as conspiracy-driven interpretations, referencing her tendency to “see a secret code” in the number “33.”
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Neff added that even if video evidence were released, critics might dismiss it as artificial or manipulated, suggesting it could be labelled as AI-generated or otherwise fabricated.
He concluded that TPUSA had already given up on the possibility of “any good faith conversation” with Owens months ago.
Trump weighs in
The controversy has also drawn comments from US President Donald Trump, bringing further attention to the debate around Erika Kirk’s leadership.
During a recent public appearance, Trump addressed Erika Kirk directly and suggested she take legal action against critics, saying she should “sue their a** off.”
Owens later referenced Trump’s comments in her criticism, arguing that attention should instead be focused on unanswered questions surrounding Charlie Kirk. She also suggested that legal action could potentially force more details into the public domain.