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Candace Owens featured at upcoming Trump campaign fundraiser

The far-right commentator has downplayed the Holocaust, advanced blood libel and defended antisemitic voices like Nick Fuentes in recent months

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 12: Kanye West and Candace Owens attend the "The Greatest Lie Ever Sold" Premiere Screening on October 12, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Davis/Getty Images for DailyWire+)

Donald Trump Jr. is set to headline a Trump campaign fundraiser on Friday in Nashville, Tenn., that will feature Candace Owens, the far-right pundit who has frequently advanced antisemitic commentary.

Owens, a fervent supporter of former President Donald Trump, has in recent months amplified the ancient blood libel against Jews, downplayed the Holocaust and defended Nick Fuentes, a prominent white nationalist, among other incendiary remarks.

In March, the 34-year-old conspiracy theorist parted ways with Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire — where she had served as a weekday host — amid mounting tensions over her increasingly antisemitic rhetoric and fierce criticism of Israel in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks.

Trump Jr.’s scheduled appearance with Owens on Friday appears to underscore the influence he is now exerting on his father’s campaign — as Trump’s daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, have played a less prominent role with the former president’s campaign after previously serving as top advisers in his administration.

The former president’s eldest son also played a key part in persuading Trump to choose Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) as his running mate, in an effort to anoint an ideologically aligned successor. 

Despite her extreme commentary, Owens has continued to find a place in Trump’s GOP, which elevated several speakers who have espoused antisemitic rhetoric during the Republican National Convention last week in Milwaukee.

In addition to Owens, the event on Friday will include David Bailey, the CEO of Bitcoin Inc., and Camryn Kinsey, a former Trump administration official who will moderate a panel discussion on the future of cryptocurrency and other topics.

The July 26 fundraiser, according to an online flier, is sponsored by the Trump campaign as well as a digital token called MAGAA — or Make America Great Again, Again — which describes itself as “the only crypto token that generates money to push conservative messaging and pro-Trump adverts.” It will be held on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. on the rooftop lounge of the Westin Nashville.

The event, with tickets running as high as $5,000, will coincide with the annual Bitcoin Conference that kicks off in Nashville on Thursday, and where Trump is expected to give remarks. The former president is reportedly holding a separate, high-dollar campaign fundraiser on Saturday.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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