The controversy surrounding Erika Kirk‘s last-minute cancellation of a Turning Point USA event with Vice President JD Vance continues to grow. Candace Owens now claims the head of the organization’s University of Georgia chapter plans to resign, while calling the official security threat explanation “pure fiction.”
Owens made the statements on April 22, accusing TPUSA executives of lying about why Kirk backed out of the April 14 event in Athens, Georgia. The political commentator said the chapter president will step down later that evening due to “internal treatment and subsequent public lies” told by organization leaders.
Owens Claims Security Was Never an Issue for Erika Kirk
The event at Akins Ford Arena was supposed to feature Kirk interviewing Vice President Vance. But hours before it started, Kirk posted on X that she would not attend, citing security concerns. She wrote that after everything her family has been through, she takes her security team’s recommendations very seriously.
Owens rejected that explanation completely.
“In short, the excuse peddled by their Public Relations team was pure fiction (as we all suspected). No, the Left was NOT buying up tons of reservations, as told by Andrew Kolvet. To the contrary, the team knew weeks before that there was little interest in the event for a variety of reasons, and Erika’s safety was NEVER an issue.”
The conservative commentator claimed Kirk was already in Georgia before the event and that the real reason for canceling had nothing to do with safety. Owens said questions asked during the event were also faked, and now both the Secret Service and the UGA chapter president are coming forward about what she calls TPUSA’s lies.
Secret Service Found No Credible Threats, Reports Say
Owens’ claims line up with reporting from multiple news outlets. CBS News cited a Secret Service source on April 16 who said the agency was not aware of any “credible threats” to Kirk or the TPUSA event. The insider said the University of Georgia venue was secure, and there was no known concern for Vance‘s safety.
The vice president proceeded with his appearance after talking with his Secret Service detail. That fact has raised questions about why Kirk’s security team gave different advice than the federal agency protecting the vice president.
However, the Secret Service source did note that Kirk or her team may have received “hostile or threatening messages” on social media. These messages were not considered actionable by security agents on the ground.
Attendance Numbers Fuel Speculation About Real Reason
The venue at the University of Georgia can hold 8,500 people. But reports suggest only about 1,000 people showed up. That low attendance has become a central part of Owens’ argument.
On April 14, Owens posted her first response to Kirk’s cancellation on X. The post has been viewed more than 3.8 million times.
“Stop. This is exhausting,” Owens wrote. “You pulled out because of bad ticket sales. For the same reason TPFaith had to ‘reschedule’ the Pastor’s Summit and various other events quietly.”
She added, “People don’t believe you and don’t line up for you because you struggle to tell the truth about even the most basic facts.”
Owens also challenged Kirk to produce a video showing her late husband Charlie Kirk appointing her as CEO weeks before his death, a claim Kirk has referenced publicly.
Vance Defends Kirk While Owens Questions Leadership
Vice President Vance pushed back strongly against critics who attacked Kirk’s decision. Speaking at the event after Kirk canceled, Vance said the criticism against her was unfair.
“Everybody is attacking her over everything, and they’re lying about her, and it’s one of the most disgraceful things that I’ve ever seen in public life,” Vance said.
He added, “This desire to go after her for the way she’s grieving her husband, that’s the most preposterous thing I’ve seen in a long time. … Why don’t you stay in your own lane and mind your business. Grief is complicated.”
TPUSA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet told attendees that Kirk had received “some very serious threats.” He called the situation a terrible reflection on the country’s current state.
But Owens used her platform to remember how Charlie Kirk ran the organization before his death. She said he never cared about crowd sizes.
“I can’t explain how much it breaks my heart to see what this organization has become. Fully elitist. Everything Charlie resented. Do you know how many small, half-filled events me and Charlie did early on? Charlie would have been on that stage. It wasn’t about the crowd size to him.”
The Personal Tragedy Behind the Controversy
Charlie Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University. He was 31 years old.
The suspected shooter, Tyler James Robinson, 22, was arrested and charged with aggravated murder and other felonies. Prosecutors are reportedly considering seeking the death penalty.
Erika Kirk took over leadership of TPUSA after her husband’s death. Since then, she has faced both internal criticism and public attacks, including from Owens, who has promoted theories about what really happened to Charlie Kirk.
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Internal TPUSA Tensions Surface Publicly
The resignation of the UGA chapter leader points to deeper problems inside Turning Point USA. Owens claimed the chapter president’s decision came from frustration with how TPUSA executives handled the situation.
One source told media outlets that Kirk’s security concerns were tied to her travel, not the event location. “The specific threats were targeting her and her ability to get to and from the event. Her security team felt that they could not protect her life,” the source said.
But that same source added, “There was absolutely no reason to cancel the event,” suggesting the risk was personal, not about the venue’s safety.
No official documents or law enforcement reports have been released to confirm either side’s claims. No ticket sales data has been made public. No specific threats have been detailed. The truth remains unclear, but the public fight between two prominent conservative figures continues to draw massive attention online.
Also Read: Garret Anderson Cause of Death Clarified: MLB Legend Died from Pancreatitis, Not Heart Attack
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