Candace Owens
A populist challenge is threatening to fracture the American right wing as conservative commentator Candace Owens faces growing grassroots support for a 2028 presidential bid. Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0

A quiet mutiny is brewing within the American right wing as a prominent conservative commentator faces growing calls to challenge Donald Trump for the 2028 presidential nomination. Internal political factions are warning that an unexpected populist alternative could splinter the MAGA coalition from within. As prominent figures raise the alarm over this unfolding strategy, dedicated grass-roots voters are already pledging their immediate support to back her potential White House run.

While Donald Trump broke the mould as the first reality TV star to capture the presidency, one expert warns that the era of tabloid entertainment dominating the White House is far from over.

On Monday, voting trends analyst Sarah Longwell published a piece for The Bulwark arguing that Candace Owens might soon run for the White House. This warning followed a recent episode of Owens' podcast, where she sat down with former President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, to debate everything from the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and US-Israel relations to the Charlie Kirk assassination plot.

Grassroots Backing Fuels MAGA Fracture

To prove her point, she highlighted feedback from several people who switched their support from Biden to Trump. Among them was Mycal, a North Carolina voter who declared, 'I think Candace Owens is great. I would vote for her in a minute.'

Another voter from the same state, Daniela, shared a similar sentiment, writing that 'if we would've swapped out Candace for Kamala, they would've had this in the bag.'

A similar sentiment emerged from Kim, a Gen Z Trump voter from Virginia who echoed a common far-right narrative by suggesting people are targeted for their views. 'I'm sure I'll catch a lot of flack for this one, but I am a Candace Owens fan,' Kim told Longwell. 'I think she's a very smart lady. I would be interested to see her give it a shot for sure.'

A Minnesota-based voter named Nancy expressed similar enthusiasm for a potential candidacy. 'I think Candace Owens would be an awesome president, and if she were to run, I think it would take a lot for me to not vote for her. I would love to see someone like Candace in office,' she remarked.

Unveiling the Strategy Behind the White House Bid

Longwell highlighted that Owens has publicly floated a White House bid, potentially alongside Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky. While it remains uncertain whether she is genuinely serious or merely provocatively trolling, Longwell emphasised that the actual intent matters less than the lesson learned from how easily people accept the possibility of her run.

Longwell explained that Owens appears to be swapping out conventional MAGA followers—those drawn to Donald Trump over low taxes and traditional family values—in favour of a crowd driven by broader conspiracies.

'Anecdotally, there are multiple people in my office whose apolitical family members and friends tune in to Owens for her reality TV takes, and get exposed to her whack-job political analysis in the process. But one person's whack-job is another person's fearless truth-teller,' she wrote.

Shifting Alliances in the Plot To Dethrone Trump

Based on years of conducting hundreds of focus groups with Trump supporters, Longwell concluded that Owens has evolved from a mainstream MAGA figure into a symbol for a much wilder, unconventional movement. She noted that Trump secured his 2024 win by uniting traditional conservatives focused on tax cuts, judges, and mass deportations with online conspiracy theorists—a strategy that led to his alliance with RFK Jr. and the MAHA movement.

Longwell suggested Owens was uniquely positioned to bridge that gap, adding, 'And maybe she can. While there are signs that establishment MAGA fans are moving on from her, if she ever chooses to run for office, the exigencies of an election may very well bring them home again.'

Longwell commended Owens for her sharp communication skills, her talent for building a dedicated audience, and her ability to distance herself from mainstream MAGA. Ultimately, she warned that this growing popularity proves America could eventually face a future of Trumpism long after Donald Trump himself leaves the stage.

'We might just end up trading the MAGA movement as it's currently constituted for an even more deranged and conspiracy-addled one,' Longwell wrote.

Inside the Alternative Right-Wing Machinery

Longwell is not the first commentator to observe Owens' growing influence. Writing for Salon, Sophia Tesfaye explained how Owens has exploited the assassination of Charlie Kirk to propagate conspiracy theories regarding his widow, Erika Kirk.

'With Kirk's assassination at a Turning Point USA event in Utah last September, the MAGA movement faced a genuine tragedy,' Tesfaye wrote. 'His widow, Erika Kirk, stepped in to lead the organization. But within weeks, before the grief had even begun to settle, Owens began publicly questioning the circumstances of Kirk's killing and spinning conspiracy theories on her podcast.... What started as insinuation soon metastasized into a serialised spectacle: Bride of Charlie, a multi-episode YouTube series targeting Erika Kirk personally.... In the series, which is still ongoing, Owens hints that Kirk's murder was an inside job, suggests foreign agents may have been involved and implies that Erika Kirk has "ulterior motives" in leading TPUSA.'

The Engine of Outrage Fuelling the Populist Takeover

Tesfaye pointed out that while conventional conservative figures have tried—after the fact—to challenge the claims Owens levelled against a prominent figure in their movement, their efforts have fallen flat. She argued that the mainstream right is powerless to halt her momentum simply because they created both her and the very system that empowers her: a right-wing media apparatus built entirely on conspiracy that can no longer be controlled by traditional means.

'The real reason right-wing media cannot stop Candace Owens is that they built her. And, more importantly, they built the engine that fuels her: the machinery of conspiratorial media, which is immune to the tools that might once have contained it.'

Looking at the bigger picture, Tesfaye concluded that conservative outlets have spent decades profiting from a commercial setup centred around outrage and suspicion. She observed that extreme claims yield higher traffic, and that cultivating deep cynicism toward institutions like universities, the press, voting systems, health officials, and law enforcement is exactly what keeps their base fiercely dedicated.

'For decades, conservative media has thrived on a business model that monetizes outrage and distrust. The more outrageous the claim, the greater the engagement. The more distrust sowed toward institutions — universities, media, elections, public health, the FBI — the more loyal the audience becomes,' she wrote.

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