Candace Owens was widely mocked after she suggested the United States’ seizure of Nicolás Maduro was orchestrated by "Zionists" and globalist interests. Owens quote-retweeted a Tucker Carlson segment defending Maduro and accused "Zionists" of cheering regime change to seize resources. Journalists including Lahav Harkov and Jonathon Van Maren sharply criticized her comments as slanderous and based on antisemitic tropes. The post sparked a flood of rebuttals and ridicule across social media.
Candace Owens Mocked After Blaming 'Zionists' for Maduro Arrest in Viral Tweet
Conservative commentator Candace Owens drew widespread online ridicule after she attributed the United States’ capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to what she described as "Zionists" and globalist actors.
Owens quote-retweeted a video segment from Tucker Carlson that defended Maduro and criticized Jewish-American commentator Ben Shapiro. In her caption she wrote: "Venezuela has been 'liberated' like Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq were 'liberated.'"
She expanded on that charge in follow-up lines: "The CIA has staged another hostile takeover of a country at the behest of a globalist psychopaths. That's it. That's what is happening, always, everywhere," and added, "Zionists cheer every regime change. There has never been a single regime change that Zionists have not applauded because it means they get to steal land, oil and other resources. Hope this helps."
Immediate Backlash
Many social-media users and commentators reacted sharply. Jewish Insider reporter Lahav Harkov responded: "That was quick, already blaming the Jews."
Jonathon Van Maren issued a detailed rebuke, calling Owens’ post "both profoundly stupid and deliberately slanderous." He disputed an implication Owens amplified about Ben Shapiro, noting Shapiro’s long-standing record and book The Porn Generation, and accused Owens of spreading falsehoods and leaning on antisemitic tropes.
Van Maren added that Owens often defaults to the same line of attack, writing that she repeatedly attributes global events to "Zionists" and similar labels rather than offering substantive analysis. Other commentators, including James Lindsay, predicted that the episode would be "both really annoying and really funny," while dozens of replies lampooned Owens’ quick attribution of motive.
Public Reaction and Context
The controversy highlights how swiftly online audiences respond when public figures invoke broad, conspiratorial explanations for complex geopolitical events. Critics said Owens’ framing relied on long-standing antisemitic tropes about collective Jewish power and resource theft, while supporters framed her comments as part of a broader anti-establishment critique.
Public reaction continued to pour in as users mocked Owens’ quick attribution of motive and accused her of promoting harmful stereotypes rather than offering a nuanced take on Maduro’s arrest. The original item appeared on Mediaite.
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