Candace Owens Says Turning Point USA Is Blaming Utah Valley's Police Chief
The independent review she cites puts some of the gaps on Charlie Kirk's team. It also shows the police chief's rooftop text referred to a walkway.
Candace Owens accused Turning Point USA of trying to pin the security failures at Charlie Kirk's final event on Utah Valley University police Chief Jeff Long. She told listeners the university's independent review shows Kirk's own team and the group's headquarters share the blame.
Owens was a friend and touring partner of Kirk, Turning Point's co-founder, and has become one of the organization's loudest critics since his assassination on September 10, 2025. She made the remarks on Monday's episode of her show, Candace. The Kirk family is preparing to sue the university, and the review was released on September 25.
"One of the things you walk away with is how despicable it is that Turning Point has been trying to shift the narrative to blame Chief Jeff Long for the absence of what they deem to be acceptable security," Owens said.
What Candace Owens Said About Turning Point and the UVU Review
did virtually nothing." (The review counts eight to twelve contracted security personnel on site, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.) She said the team "didn't even try to get in touch with the police. The police had to play offense on that."
She also said "headquarters was not sharing the ticket count," and that Turning Point "ignored their suggestion to have this event be in-door."
Owens built much of her case on a clip of Frank Turek, a Christian apologist who was traveling with Kirk that day. On Brandon Tatum's podcast, Turek described a March 2026 talk with Long after Turek spoke at UVU. In his telling, Long said, "I kind of think I got thrown under the bus today," and objected to Turek's line that "we had the roofs."
"I said, you did have the roofs," Turek said, citing a text he said Kirk's security staff showed him. In Turek's account, Long replied, "well, it was just the roof above you," meaning a walkway over the stage. Turek's version of the conversation is his alone, and it could not be independently verified.
"You're defaming the police. That is the truest example of defamation," Owens said of Turek. "Why not be honest and tell people, yeah, after seeing that report, after reading through it, sure looks like more could have been done that day by our team."
What the UVU Independent Review Found
The 158-page review, which the university commissioned, faults both sides, the Tribune reported. UVU had no written event action plan and no documented line-of-sight assessment, and campus police did not fly a drone to monitor rooftops, PBS NewsHour reported.
On the roofs, the review clarifies what Long's text meant. When Turning Point's security raised concerns on September 8, 2025, Long replied "we got you covered" in reference to the Hall of Flags walkway above Kirk's canopy, the Daily Herald reported.
| Issue | What Turning Point's side has said | What the UVU review records |
|---|---|---|
| Roofs | Turek: "you did have the roofs" | Long's "we got you covered" referred to the Hall of Flags walkway; no line-of-sight assessment was done |
| Crowd size | Family's notice of claim cites about 3,000 attendees and only six officers | About 600 projected; more than 3,000 attended; Long asked for ticket totals several times and never got them |
| Venue | Turning Point wanted the courtyard because Kirk had spoken there before | UVU officials suggested other locations, some of them indoors |
| Coordination | Not addressed | Long proposed a final safety meeting that never happened; no face-to-face meeting took place before the event |
PBS also reported that a Turning Point representative chose the courtyard because Kirk "had been there previously."
How Turning Point and the Kirk Family Have Responded
Turning Point and its security team did not respond to requests to take part in the review. Asked about the findings, the group deferred to Brett Parkinson, the Kirk family's attorney. Parkinson said the report shows UVU's security was "woefully understaffed and unprepared."
The family's notice of claim names Utah Valley University, the state of Utah, Long and then-President Astrid Tuminez. It cites the "I got you covered" text and says only six campus officers worked an event with about 3,000 people after Tuminez turned down Long's request for more, Fox News reported.
Owens has broken with Kirk's circle before, including when she called Erika Kirk "not qualified" to lead the group. Owens offered no evidence that Turning Point is deliberately shifting blame onto Long. The family has not yet filed a lawsuit.
Sources
- New report: Utah Valley University tried to warn Charlie Kirk's staff of risks, but team ignored concerns — The review's 158-page length; the 600 estimate against 3,000-plus attendance, ticket totals Long requested, Turning Point's eight to 12 private security staff, the Losee Center roof and Long's proposed final meeting
- Independent review of UVU security following Kirk's assassination identifies failures, recommends improvements — The review ties Long's 'we got you covered' text to the Hall of Flags walkway; no line-of-sight assessment; no face-to-face meeting before the event
- Report finds many security deficiencies at Utah university where Charlie Kirk was killed — Campus police did not fly a drone to monitor rooftops; officials suggested other locations, some indoors; Turning Point insisted on the courtyard and deferred comment to the family's attorney
2 more sources
- Charlie Kirk's family alleges UVU knew of rooftop security risk before his assassination: legal filing — Notice of claim details: named parties (Utah Valley University, the state of Utah, Police Chief Jeffrey Long and then-President Astrid Tuminez), six officers, Tuminez's denial of more officers, UVU's response
- Independent review of UVU and Charlie Kirk shooting finds ways security could be better — Release date and Parkinson's 'woefully understaffed and unprepared' statement