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Candace Owens Reveals What She Found in Russia That American Media Won't Show You
Candace Owens traveled to Russia for the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and discovered a reality drastically different from what Western media portrays. She discusses how Moscow's safety and cleanliness surpass major European and American cities, why Americans are losing trust in mainstream narratives about Russia, and her controversial positions on Ukraine, Trump's second term, vaccines, abortion, and Brigitte Macron. Owens also addresses being labeled a Russian agent, death threat allegations involving the French government, and why she believes nationalism matters more than globalism.
Why Candace Owens Traveled to Russia
Candace Owens joined an interview at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, explaining that she had long wanted to visit Russia. Her husband frequently traveled there for fishing before their marriage and always described it as a beautiful country. When they planned a family trip and received an invitation to speak on a panel about family values, the timing aligned perfectly. Owens expressed no concerns about being labeled a Russian spy or Kremlin agent, noting that critics accuse her of being funded by a different foreign power every week, whether Qatar, Iran, or now Russia.
Russia Beyond Western Media Narratives
Candace Owens shared that Moscow exceeded her expectations in terms of cleanliness and safety. She acknowledged that most Americans form their opinions about countries they've never visited through television, movies, and government messaging. What she witnessed in Russia was the complete opposite of media portrayals. She was particularly struck by how safe, quiet, and orderly Moscow felt compared to European cities she has visited. Owens stated that Moscow surpasses any European city in safety and cleanliness, calling it a complete revelation.
When asked what would most surprise her American audience, Owens emphasized safety and cleanliness. She explained that Americans currently believe Russia is dangerous and that Americans wouldn't be welcomed there. The reality, she found, was strikingly different. She described Moscow as remarkably safe and well-organized, contrasting it with American cities like Washington, D.C., which lack the same level of order and cleanliness.
Shifting American Perceptions After 2022
Owens believes American perceptions of Russia changed significantly after February 2022, though she attributes this less to Russia itself and more to Americans losing trust in their media system. She pointed to instances where media were caught lying, with the response to the pandemic being the most revealing example. Americans were told one thing, changed their lives accordingly, and then were told authorities had been wrong or had lied. This broke public trust and led people to seek independent podcasts and alternative media sources.
Owens noted that she benefited from this shift because she simply tells people the truth about what she sees each day. Russia fits into this pattern of media dishonesty. Americans now question whether media tell them the truth about anything. She observed differences across demographic groups, with older generations carrying what she calls a Cold War hangover. Many grew up preparing for nuclear war, literally hiding under desks during school drills, making it difficult for them to reconsider their view of Russia. Younger people, however, are open to different perspectives and less trusting of mainstream media narratives.
Understanding the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Candace Owens is one of the few prominent American political commentators who considers Russia's position on Ukraine. She explained that her approach began with personal experience. Media have lied about her so many times that she finds it easy to disregard what they say and research information independently. When the conflict began, she read speeches in their original form with automatic translation, starting with President Biden's statements and then reading speeches from Putin.
American press at the time wrote that Putin was seriously ill, losing his mind, and attacking for no reason. His speech, however, was very clear and addressed NATO expansion. Owens didn't simply believe Putin but listened to what he said and then independently studied the assurances he mentioned, those given in 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell. She found this information in American government documents and realized this was not a superficial story as media tried to present it. She honestly told her audience what was actually being said.
Owens acknowledged that language barriers often create misunderstanding. She forces herself to spend extra time hearing both sides. This doesn't mean she completely agrees with Russia's president or with President Biden, but it allows her to evaluate what each side says and arrive at something closer to truth. She noted that language barriers prevent most Americans from independently analyzing information about what's happening, forcing them to rely on authoritative sources that many now consider corrupted.
Military Aid to Ukraine and Corruption
Owens criticized military aid to Ukraine during Biden's administration. When Trump came to office and promised to quickly end the conflict but didn't succeed, she considered why. Her general sense reflects what Americans feel: Ukraine has long been corrupted, and Americans know that huge volumes of tax money passed through there. She also criticized Zelensky's image management from the beginning, particularly his attempts to appear at ceremonies like film awards. She believes he still behaves like an actor, appearing on magazine covers in clothing meant to symbolize war while doing endless photo shoots. This didn't create the impression of someone speaking truth.
Owens tries to stay away from political disputes about who says what and what motivates whom, preferring to look at things from an ordinary family's perspective. American money is flowing out. Americans are told they must participate in conflicts everywhere beyond their country's borders. This has become a problem. When asked whether the principle of not paying for other countries' wars applies only to Ukraine or also to Israel and Taiwan, Owens stated there are currently no exceptions because America is in a state of decline and Americans understand this.
America's Declining Cities
Owens contrasted American cities with Moscow, questioning why American cities aren't clean like Moscow. She asked why America has such problems with drugs and homelessness in major cities. In Washington, you won't see the cleanliness and order found in Moscow. People are exhausted by constant explanations of why American interests cannot come first. Americans want nationally oriented policies. This was the foundation of Trump's course and why Owens supported him. She noted that Americans aren't seeing this during his second term.
From Trump Critic to Supporter
Initially, Candace Owens was critical of Trump before his first campaign. When he announced his candidacy, she didn't think it was a good idea. But when she heard what he said and saw how media lied about him, she actively supported Trump during his first term. She called on Americans to support him as well and, as always, proposed thinking beyond the media bubble. In 2016, this was especially relevant as Hillary Clinton was being actively promoted. Owens opposed Clinton because she wanted to move away from globalized government with endless wars.
Trump seemed like an opportunity for change, for nationalism. Owens considers nationalism important for any nation. During his first term, he seemed much more focused on Americans and American problems. In his second term, she doesn't recognize him, doesn't understand what he's doing, why he's doing it, or what drives him. This is precisely why a clear split occurred in his support.
Trump's Changed Behavior in His Second Term
When asked why Trump's behavior changed, Owens suggested it's a plausible explanation that when you no longer need to win elections and victory is already achieved, you can think only about yourself and your family. She admitted she doesn't know the answer and probably only Trump himself knows. Trump previously spoke highly of Owens and noted her influence, but then began calling her a stupid loser with low IQ and even the most disgusting person of the year.
Owens thinks this damages his own image because it's not just about her. He behaves this way with every major commentator who once supported him, including Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly. In her view, he diminishes himself with such outbursts. Again, this suggests he's not thinking about the next election. She believes this is dictated by his ego. For her, it's essentially unimportant. She doesn't spend much time reading presidential tweets because there are too many. She thinks this needs to be viewed philosophically: if the president considers it necessary to write about her, it means she still has some influence.
Disappointment in Trump and the MAGA Movement
When asked whether this represents disappointment in Trump as a person or in the MAGA movement and the America First idea, Owens explained that Trump is just one person and disappointment is broader, affecting both left and right. She's an eternal optimist who tries to see good in everything. The good that came from this is that people are moving toward the center. Both left and right are beginning to understand this isn't a war of left versus right, and that Americans mistakenly tie all hopes to one person again and again, then are surprised when that person drowns in Washington and becomes part of the swamp he promised to fight.
This creates unity and a broader sense of nationalism. Owens is interested to see where this leads because she's never seen such dynamics, with left and right saying the same thing. When asked about serious divisions among the right regarding Ukraine, big tech companies, universities, and free speech, Owens understands why it might seem that way from outside since media are biased against the right. But the MAGA movement, which Trump didn't create, isn't actually split. Trump is trying to move it somewhere it never was, and it's not working.
People see that he can't rally his supporters around war. Americans always opposed war, which is why they stood behind him. They didn't want to get involved in new conflicts. If you read media that are always pro-war, it might seem like there's some huge internal battle. But actually Trump simply drew closer to people who initially didn't support him. So he changed rather than the demands within the Republican party.
Iran Threats and Presidential Competence
After Trump's threats toward Iran, Candace Owens called his behavior genocidal madness and suggested considering application of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment. When asked whether she truly believes he may be incapable of fulfilling presidential duties, Owens stated it's hard to imagine a more shortsighted assessment than thinking you can conquer Iran in a week. This makes you question who's advising him. It's simply impractical and unreasonable, regardless of whether you love war or hate it. This is reckless advice.
When the official position is exactly this, Owens doesn't think it looks like stability on the international stage or stability within the country. It completely contradicts everything he initially stood for. Personally, she could say she jumped ship from MAGA earlier, but this became a sharper turning point after which Americans began questioning who's actually making decisions. If each new Trump statement contradicts previous ones and reduces trust in his words, what can be believed from what he says? Owens emphasized that such things diminish him.
She will always hope the course can change, that he'll see how support from his own base is crumbling and maybe return to what made Americans believe in him so strongly. But right now, Americans can only observe what's happening and pray for the president, wanting things to improve.
Artificial Intelligence and Political Propaganda
Owens stated that the US and Israel hide information about Benjamin Netanyahu's health condition and possibly use artificially created video recordings instead of real ones. When asked whether she believes the role of artificial intelligence in political propaganda will grow, Owens suggested reasons for using recordings could vary. For example, if he's at war and hiding, using recordings makes sense logically if there's a need to protect the prime minister. Obviously AI is being used more actively. There are both good and bad incentives for this, but this is undoubtedly the direction society as a whole is moving.
For example, Trump published videos depicting him almost like a deity on social media. This looks insane. Owens added that he doesn't do this himself. Again the question arises: who's doing this? Because he never presses send on his own tweets. So who creates these AI images? She knows no more than anyone else.
The Problem of Racism in America
Candace Owens gained prominence as a Black conservative activist and critic of the Black Lives Matter movement. When asked whether she believes the problem of racism in America is exaggerated or real but with solutions proposed by the left not working, Owens stated it's definitely exaggerated. The question is who's exaggerating it. By her understanding, whenever government wants to distract from something, such groups appear. They're funded, someone stands behind them. Media inflate some big topic and this serves as distraction.
This obviously doesn't benefit anyone regardless of race. When people destroy streets, it benefits no one. This divides society and sows distrust. Only government benefits when society is fragmented and people suspect each other. Owens is glad that in America the BLM page has been turned. It seems that's exactly the case. She always calls for unity and for people to understand that when someone inflates social topics, it's always done intentionally.
When asked whether she's hinting that such processes are initiated by government to divide people, Owens stated without doubt that it's absolutely artificial. This is funded by those who want to see such division, and it's always a distraction. In everyday life in America, these problems don't exist as real. She can speak to this because she grew up as a Black person in America. When reminded about incidents related to racism in her school experience, Owens compared it to a meme where if someone's accused of racism, the person defends themselves saying they can't be racist because they have Black friends. She rejected the notion that she serves as that Black friend for the conservative movement.
Owens explained this is again a question of her own journey and experience. She never felt she was being turned into someone's Black friend, especially given where she is now. She stepped away from both sides of the political spectrum and truly unites people, doing so with the same indifference to social topics like race that she believes are designed to incite discord and distract from real power structures in the world.
White Lives Matter and Kanye West
Regarding racial questions and her joint campaign with Kanye West called White Lives Matter, Owens explained that Kanye was the creative genius behind it. His subsequent statement was something like that's it, the movement is over, and it actually somehow faded away on its own. It was an ironic artistic gesture. Black Lives Matter, your life matters. He flipped it upside down and said okay, now we'll say this to you. There's something condescending in the very idea of constantly telling people their lives matter. This caused a big scandal, but Owens thinks this knocked the ground out from under the BLM movement.
It pointed to the absurdity of a situation where you're constantly seen through the prism of race and told you're allowed to be yourself. Owens personally finds it grating when people communicate with her like a child. Kanye feels the same way. It's just that his method of self-expression will always be unconventional. Later, Kanye faced accusations of antisemitism. He was banned from entering the UK and concerts in some European countries were canceled. When asked whether she discussed with him that maybe he went too far, Owens said no, she doesn't discuss his life decisions with him.
Regarding cancellation for antisemitism, every day someone gets canceled for antisemitism, and Owens thinks this already causes increasing fatigue. It's simply ridiculous if you think about it. Benjamin Netanyahu, considering everything he's done, is probably the biggest antisemite in the world judging by the number of Palestinians he killed, and he's received at the White House. Meanwhile, Kanye can't perform in the UK or Owens can't speak in Australia. This again doesn't work in favor of authorities because people notice and understand. There are untouchables who can say anything, and their words are far more terrible than anything Kanye ever said.
If you return to what he actually wrote, going death con three on Jewish people, and Americans are told that words are violence but real violence isn't violence, this narrative no longer works. Owens is glad to see he still has concerts, apparently recently the biggest in history in Istanbul.
Restrictions and Pressure on Activists
Restrictions applied to Owens and Kanye continue. When asked whether she considers them unjustified and what this might lead to, Owens simply wonders whether they think ahead at all. Any sensible person sees that these actions aren't beneficial to authorities themselves, yet they continue. She doesn't know whether they do this from a selfish desire to demonstrate strength without understanding that precisely through such small demonstrations of strength they lose that strength. When people don't believe you, when they don't want to believe, they create systems beyond your power. This is exactly what's happening. Many are forced to become their own centers of power, including Owens.
Her personal experience: when she wanted to launch a podcast and refused to take a pro-Israel position, she was told and pressured in a thousand different ways. YouTube initially demonetized her, but they built everything themselves and now exist beyond that system. This is wonderful. There's real freedom in this. This pushes people toward greater creativity. In the end, old power structures that stopped serving people are losing.
Building an Independent Media Empire
Candace Owens managed to create her own independent media empire, but for many this seems unattainable due to social media algorithms, blocking, and shadow bans. When asked whether it's possible for independent authors to become independent voices today, Owens confirmed it's possible and they proved it in practice. YouTube immediately attacked them when they launched the podcast. This forced her husband, who handles the business side, to build their own platform. They created their own website and prepared for the possibility that if they're blocked everywhere, they'll at least have their own platform.
Then small companies, YouTube competitors, approached them saying this is our chance. Market competition responded to injustice because blocking the largest authors is certainly unprofitable. New opportunities can't be stifled everywhere. Spotify competed with YouTube and decided they wouldn't ban anyone at all to avoid losses. So they behaved very decently, Owens admitted. But this returns to the same theme: you can win in the short term but lose in the long term.
Long-Term Goals
Looking at long-term perspective and what Owens is striving for, whether she's building a media platform, political movement, or business empire, Owens stated she never thinks in categories of empire. She simply wants to live in a society that tells truth and allows free expression and sound thinking. Somehow it turns out to be such a provocation to think beyond frameworks prepared for you. It's so provocative to see Russia through a Christian's eyes. So she fights, but she shows what courage looks like to do this regardless of what people say about you.
Owens is increasingly mentioned as a potential candidate in the 2028 presidential election. When asked whether she's considering running for president, Senate, or another political position, Owens laughed about this in her podcast. She won't run for president because she's not going to deal with Congress. She's only ready for the role of dictator. Either dictator or nothing. She doesn't want to get involved with these lobbyists and political intrigues. Right now she's only running around with little ones. Family is their main priority. She's very lucky to do everything from home and be near her children. They inspire her most of all. Right now they need her.
It's impossible to talk about future plans. You make plans and God laughs and throws something different at you. But honestly, right now she has absolutely no desire to be president of the United States.
Brigitte Macron Allegations
Russian audiences know Owens primarily from her statements about Brigitte Macron. Owens didn't know about this and found it very interesting. As she understands, lawsuits were even filed against her, but they concerned not her main assertion but secondary accusations, such as Brigitte allegedly stealing someone's identity. She created a series of materials on this topic with a lot of revealing information. Journalists in France who tried to cover it faced serious pressure. Owens wants to emphasize these claims weren't made by conspiracy theorists or marginal journalists. These were mainstream publication journalists, French reporters, who simply wanted to write biographical materials about Brigitte when she came to power and suddenly discovered they couldn't confirm practically anything from her past.
Then they discovered the Élysée Palace was threatening them and didn't understand what was happening. Already at the beginning of the story, this in itself is very telling. They're writing about a person they want to glorify and suddenly receive threats. The result: one brave journalist left France with his family and worked on this story for eight years. The volume of lies and concealment is shocking. Brigitte filed a lawsuit. Owens is convinced it's for PR reasons because the press reported Brigitte is suing because Owens called her a man. Some wrote that Brigitte is ready to give blood for analysis. This isn't the essence of the lawsuit. There are no attempts to give blood. Brigitte, as always, finds a loophole and sues for something that might turn out to be an error or misunderstanding.
In Owens' case, Brigitte is suing first because Owens hinted Brigitte's birthday coincides with the date of the MK Ultra program, a CIA program. The second lawsuit is because Owens said Brigitte allegedly stole her sister's identity. The essence of the lawsuit is the word stole. This lawsuit isn't about whether Brigitte Macron is a man. Brigitte never sued anyone over this. It's always either identity theft or a fake document. Moreover, these aren't just technical claims, which in itself is curious. Owens thinks everyone following the story understands these are unrealistic lawsuits, PR moves. It's hard to imagine anything more unreasonable than a sitting president suing a podcaster from another country. This doesn't convince people you're telling the truth. It convinces them you have something to hide.
The whole story about Brigitte Macron allegedly being a man sounds quite strange. When asked whether Owens still holds this version and what evidence could make her admit an error, Owens answered: photographs from 30 years of Brigitte's life, photographs of her raising children. That's what's needed. Literally, the bar of proof is so low it's simply incredible, and Brigitte hasn't provided them. Never provided them. The public was shown, it seems, only three photographs total. On one of them, the allegedly missing brother stands on the left. Everyone has seen this family photo many times. How could you give birth to three children and not take a single picture the whole time you're raising them?
Lying is also not beneficial to Owens, just as it's not to mainstream media. There would be no benefit to saying this if there were nothing behind it. So far, not a single convincing piece of evidence has been presented in France, abroad, or anywhere else that would refute this story. And blood isn't needed for this. No one demands blood. It would just be nice if Brigitte and her brother maybe sat down together and gave an interview.
Alleged Assassination Plot
One of Owens' claims concerned an alleged conspiracy to assassinate her on orders from Emmanuel Macron. When asked whether she has evidence and whether she provided it to law enforcement, Owens confirmed she immediately contacted law enforcement, also appealed to the White House, and was ready to present all evidence. The information came from a very reliable source, a person who seriously risked their career. What's telling is that neither the White House nor the Élysée Palace refuted this information. This is honestly creepy because if you want to present someone as unstable and unbalanced, you immediately come out and say we checked, there's nothing substantial in these claims.
No one did this, which is quite curious. Owens doesn't know. She thinks France in general, even President Trump himself talked about this, is a very dangerous nation. They were definitely involved. Right now there's an investigation of a conspiracy to assassinate involving exactly those military structures Owens mentioned in her post. This conspiracy was uncovered later but was connected to the highest echelons of French government, former intelligence officers, and a Masonic lodge in France who tried to kill a specific person and failed.
Owens talks about this in her podcast because people should know such things happen. In the West for some reason there's an illusion that as soon as a person gets into a seat of power, they become pure and unblemished. The entire Brigitte story, if you study it, is surrounded by completely dark personalities. Take Alexandre Benalla who worked in the administration. He was caught dressing up as a police officer and beating people on the street. They surround themselves with bandits and gangsters. The Alexandre Benalla case, a person who worked in Macron's campaign headquarters whom he brought into the administration, ended in a loud scandal. He literally beat protesters on the streets, passing himself off as police. His position was deputy chief of staff, a huge position. So there's no doubt Emmanuel Macron surrounds himself with bandits. Watch Owens' series of materials and truly understand how Emmanuel Macron was created and who stands behind him.
Responding to Conspiracy Theory Labels
All this sounds so wild that many call such claims conspiracy theories. When asked what she says to such criticism and whether raising such topics makes part of her audience believe certain assumptions even if she herself doesn't assert them, Owens thinks this is precisely why the Brigitte Macron series became the most successful of everything they've done. It wasn't based on simple questions. This was, and credit must be given to Ksavier Poussard, eight years of real journalism, obtaining documents, providing them to the public so people could evaluate the situation themselves.
This worked precisely because there was so much evidence collected, especially against the background of complete absence of what would be so easy to refute. If someone said Owens was born a man, she would simply show photographs from every year of her life and laugh about it. But with Brigitte everything is different. In response: power, pressure, intelligence service interference, threats to journalists. There's your common sense. Added to this are real documents and real characters like Alexandre Benalla, deputy chief of staff who resigned for behaving like a bandit, and Mimi Marchand, who also had to leave and still figures in cases. Around them is a criminal network from which they had to distance themselves. It can't be that absolutely everyone around you is involved in such things and yet you should be considered a crystal-clean character.
Views on COVID-19
Criticism of conspiracy theories is often connected to the topic of COVID-19. Owens claimed that the danger of COVID was exaggerated. Several years have passed. When asked whether she maintains this position, Owens thinks this is precisely why her audience trusts her so much. She made statements that diverged from mainstream media narratives and then turned out to be right. People know when she says something, she typically conducts her own research and reasons soundly. What's never in mainstream media is humility. If she's wrong, she's always ready to say here's what I said but I want to return to this. Here's where I was right and here's where we were wrong. On big things she turned out to be right. So she thinks she was right about Brigitte too, because if it were about defamation, they'd be suing for calling her a man, not for some minor detail that by and large isn't important. But time will tell.
Admitting Mistakes
When asked about questions where she subsequently admitted she was wrong and what mistakes were most significant, Owens stated there were no major ones. Usually it's some detail, a small thing she doesn't remember anymore. For example, in the Brigitte series she once showed a photograph of the wrong person, another Rothschild. They immediately devoted a whole segment to it and directly said we were completely wrong. No one forced them to do this, but she always wants to be accurate. They have a small team, and when they make mistakes, they immediately admit it. But on big things, in general context, she's called a conspiracy theorist every day. Called one regarding COVID, regarding October 7th events, regarding information that later surfaced, regarding general narratives about war. Every day she's a conspiracy theorist.
Position on Abortion
Candace Owens consistently opposes abortion and criticizes feminists for supporting abortion rights. When asked whether there are circumstances under which abortion is acceptable, such as if a woman is in a difficult psychological state, became a victim of rape, or there are serious medical problems with the fetus, Owens' argument is that you're punishing a child for what the child didn't do. As a Christian, she's convinced innocent life must always be protected. This is her position as a believing person. If you look at the history of abortion, it's a rather dark picture: child sacrifice.
In America these debates usually come down to extreme cases, but the reality is most abortions are done because people behaved irresponsibly on Friday evening or because they want to build a career and a child is inconvenient. That's what we're talking about: sacrificing children for convenience. This needs to be called by its proper name. In most cases, in Owens' opinion, it's not justified. But there are exceptional cases like rape. Even in case of rape, she doesn't believe a child should be killed as a consequence. If a woman isn't able to raise a child due to trauma, there are other options. She knows people who adopted children. But again, we're talking about extreme cases. It's very important not to fixate on the letter of the law and not to argue based on extremes. No functioning society can build laws based on exceptions. Abortion is always wrong.
After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, according to researchers, the number of self-induced abortions and related complications increased, including fatal cases among women and children. When asked whether she believes negative attitudes toward abortion are justified given these consequences, Owens stated yes, but consequences are typically greatly exaggerated. When all this started, they talked about masses of underground abortions. Then someone looked into the details. There turned out to be about five such cases. It always works this way. A single case from a minority is taken and inflated to incredible proportions.
The review of Roe v. Wade simply returned the question to the state level. In states where abortions are permitted, they're permitted. Those who wanted abortions simply got on a bus and went to another state. This was never the essence of the dispute. But in any case, in every situation Owens believes fighting for life is always right.
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