Podcaster Candace Owens has made unfounded accusations against former Utah gubernatorial candidate Phil Lyman related to the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Gov. Spencer Cox, who has been the target of Lyman’s own allegations, came to his former opponent’s defense on his personal X account, Thursday morning.
“I have to say that there are few things worse than having people make up lies — very publicly — that destroy your integrity. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. I don’t believe Phil Lyman had anything to do with Charlie Kirk’s death and neither should you," Cox wrote.
Lyman was at Utah Valley University with Kirk on Sept. 10, before the conservative activist was shot and killed, allegedly by accused 21-year-old Tyler Robinson.
On Monday, Owens posted an hourlong video titled, “They Are Lying About Tyler Robinson.”
In it, she claims, without evidence, that Robinson was never at UVU, and she said Lyman was at the center of a plot to kill Kirk, also without evidence.
Lyman responds to Owens
After Owens made claims about Lyman on Monday, the former Utah House member responded with a video message, addressing her wild claims.
“Candace is the antithesis of an investigator,” he captioned the video. “Candace, you have questions. So do I. But yours are not questions, they are mocking slanderous libel. When you are ready to have an actual conversation rather than grand stand, give me a call.”
It appears as though Owens wanted Lyman to send her videos he took of the event, and when he didn’t, she made assumptions about him.
“I really do not know what your motive is on this, but you’re so ignorant as to what is going on here and what happened on that day. But it doesn’t stop you from just completely throwing people under the bus,” he said.
Each podcast Owens posts to YouTube generates at least 1 million views, and the videos published following Kirk’s murder have brought in two or three times that.
Her video about Lyman’s involvement from Monday has already received over 3 million views.