'I'm Ready for War': Candace Owens Claims She's Triggered Her 'Dead Man's Switch' to Expose Political Elites

Candace Owens told listeners she has placed a sealed 'life-insurance' package with trusted contacts and authorised its release should she be harmed, a move she described as a last-resort safeguard amid her public probe into the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Her declaration comes after weeks of highly charged commentary about Kirk's killing and an escalating online dispute with fellow conservatives. Owens has framed the switch as a protective measure that will expose alleged wrongdoings if she is silenced.

Owens Announces She Has 'Activated' a Dead Man's Switch

On 8 October 2025 Owens told followers, during an episode of her show and in short video posts on her social channels, that she had 'sent a life insurance policy to people I trust in case anything were to happen'.

She described the package as containing texts, emails, videos and legal documents that would be released by designated custodians 'if anything happens to me', and said those custodians have her explicit permission to publish the material.

Owens framed the measure in stark terms, telling her audience she was not suicidal but was preparing for the worst: 'If anything happens to me... you guys will know exactly who it is.' The rhetoric was punctuated by earlier, similarly bellicose posts such as 'Get ready for war. Because it's coming...'.

Context: Charlie Kirk's Killing and Owens's Lines of Inquiry

The move follows the high-profile killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a university event in September, an incident that has roiled American politics and spawned a storm of competing narratives. Law enforcement has charged an accused shooter and the investigation remains the subject of intense media scrutiny.

Owens has steadily used her platform to challenge the official account of Kirk's death, sharing what she says are private messages and alleging that powerful donors and organisational actors were exerting pressure behind the scenes. It is that investigation, and the enemies she says it has created, that she now cites as the reason for a contingency plan.

Her claims have been amplified across right-wing networks and republished widely on alternative video platforms, and they have helped turn a policing and prosecutorial matter into a broader political spectacle.

Independent outlets and fact-checkers have warned that some of the material circulating online remains unverified. Reuters and other agencies have repeatedly advised caution as investigations continue.

Reaction, Risk and the Question of Credibility

The announcement has produced two predictable reactions, alarm from political opponents and validation from sections of the right that view a dead-man's switch as a legitimate protective step for whistleblowers. Prominent commentators reposted Owens's clip within hours, and alternative hosts framed the move as evidence that she had uncovered explosive material.

At the same time, legal and editorial risk attach to the broad publication of private documents and allegations. Owens is no stranger to litigation and controversy, as recent years have seen defamation suits against others who spread unverified allegations, and high-profile libel litigation involving political commentators has underscored the peril of publishing uncorroborated claims.

Media lawyers note that releasing third-party communications publicly can trigger defamation exposure if the material includes false statements presented as fact.

The most immediate test of Owens's claim will be whether the custodians she identifies actually release material, and, crucially, whether that material is authenticated by independent reporters.

Until then, the announcement functions as both a protective gesture and a provocation: it keeps Owens at the centre of a story that has already strained trust in institutions and intensified partisan rancour.

The switch is flipped, and we'll see whether the lights it throws are illuminating or incendiary.