Internet unconvinced as Megyn Kelly confronts Ben Shapiro on Candace Owens' ouster from The Daily Wire
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT: The abrupt split between The Daily Wire and firebrand pundit Candace Owens has ignited a firestorm of controversy, with questions swirling about the right-wing media outlet's stance on free speech and its relationship with Israel.
In a recent interview on SiriusXM's 'The Megyn Kelly Show', The Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro faced questioning from the former Fox News anchor over Owens' ouster, which came amid escalating tensions over her inflammatory remarks about Israel's actions in Gaza, as per The Daily Beast.
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Megyn Kelly questioned Ben Shapiro on Candace Owens' abrupt departure
The friction between Owens and Shapiro had been building for months, fueled by their contrasting views on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Owens had been accused of trafficking in antisemitic tropes, such as accusing Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew, of harboring 'dual loyalty' and liking a social media post that referenced the antisemitic 'blood libel' theory.
As the interview was heading to a conclusion, Kelly addressed the elephant in the room, saying, "I know it's a subject you probably don't want to discuss, but I'd be remiss if I didn't at least go there. She left, it made tons of news. The right loves to eat its own, so they loved this."
"But I'm sure that whole thing was rather unpleasant. It's now spun into a debate about whether The Daily Wire is pro-free speech. The accusation is you are until it comes to Israel. How do you respond?" Kelly added.
Ben Shapiro insisted that split had nothing to do with disagreement over Israel
In his response, Shapiro was evasive, insisting that the split had nothing to do with their disagreement over Israel. "That's really all I have to say about it," he stated, refusing to delve deeper into the matter.
Shapiro also drew a distinction between The Daily Wire, which he described as a "publisher," and social media platforms, arguing that media outlets have the right to fire employees, while platforms should not ban users based on their views.
"I would never call for anyone to be ousted from an actual platform, X, YouTube," Shapiro said, referring to the social media giants. "Even people who I think are absolutely horrific human beings, I've never called for any of them to be ousted. In fact, I've called for them to have their accounts restored if they've been banned."
Internet unconvinced in wake of Ben Shapiro's responses
Shapiro's responses about Owens' sudden ouster from The Daily Wire did little to convince the online community, with many expressing skepticism and criticism. One user on X platform remarked, "Great non answer! Don't want to look like liberals, do you Ben?" Another echoed, "We're all onto you, Ben."
Great non answer! Don't want to look like liberals, do you Ben?
— Matthew Pezzone (@MatthewPezzone) April 2, 2024
A third user labeled Shapiro's response as a "lawyer answer." Meanwhile, another individual bluntly stated, "He said nothing."
A fifth user questioned the interview dynamics, commenting, "Sorry, but am I supposed to give props to Megyn Kelly for tossing these softball questions and just allowing Shapiro all the time possible to construct his bs arguments that we're supposed to... do what with? These questions clearly seem to have been released prior to going live. Not quite sold, sorry!"
Sorry, but am I supposed to give props to Megyn Kelly for tossing these softball questions and just allowing Shapiro all the time possible to construct his bs arguments that we're supposed to... do what with?
— Johnny Bravo 📝😎 (@John_Brahv_07s) April 2, 2024
These questions clearly seem to have been released prior to going…
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