Candace Owens and TPUSA disagree over whether Erika Kirk’s Idaho school appearance was voluntary or effectively mandatory.

Published on: Sep 19, 2026, 00:11:12 IST

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Candace Owens has clarified her criticism of a Turning Point USA event at Nampa Christian School after Blake Neff accused her of dishonesty. Owens said students were not told they could opt out of an assembly featuring Erika Kirk during the school day.

She said parents chose to remove their children after students contacted them. TPUSA spokesman Andrew Kolvet disputed the account, saying students were free to opt out and that three did so, while more than 500 attended.

The dispute centres on whether the gathering was a voluntary Club America event or school assembly.

What did Candace Owens say about the Nampa Christian School event?

The dispute began after Nikkelle Hudak-Cardoso, TPUSA’s deputy director for Club America, posted about the September 17 event. She wrote: “500+ OUTSTANDING high school students attended the @TPUSA Club America Tour Stop at Nampa Christian School this morning! @MrsErikaKirk delivered a powerful message to this generation of America First leaders. The future is bright!”

Owens challenged that description, saying students did not sign up. She wrote: “The students were forced to attend this event as a school assembly. They could not opt out. The parents were informed they were not allowed to attend alongside with them.”

On September 18, she clarified: “Allow me clarify: The students were not told they could OPT OUT. Despite this, some parents went above and beyond to opt their students out of what was a mandatory assembly scheduled as a part of their regular day.”

Why did Andrew Kolvet dispute Candace Owens’ claim?

Kolvet rejected Owens’ account and said students had a choice. He wrote: “Wrong again. Students were free to opt out. Three students did so. Over 500 chose to attend. Nothing was forced. What else you got?”

Owens later said parents were informed through a weekly newsletter and that some students texted their parents because they were unhappy about being required to attend.

What did Blake Neff say about Candace Owens?

Neff responded after sharing screenshots of Owens’ earlier posts. He argued that her wording changed from saying students “could not opt out” to saying they were not told they could opt out.

Neff wrote: “Besides being funny, this really is a good example of Candace-style dishonesty. Most people don’t understand how narcissists lie, and Candace is the most narcissistic woman alive.”

Owens said the difference was between students having a technical ability to opt out and being clearly told they could do so. She also argued that Charlie Kirk’s Club America vision was based on students choosing to join, rather than being brought into an assembly.

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