Candace Owens, TPUSA fight over 'secret event' for Idaho school kids; Erika Kirk dragged in - here's all that happened

A dispute between conservative commentator Candace Owens and Turning Point USA (TPUSA) erupted this week over an event at Nampa Christian School in Idaho featuring Erika Kirk, with Owens questioning whether students voluntarily attended and TPUSA’s Andrew Kolvet disputing her characterization of the gathering.

The controversy began after a post celebrating the event claimed that more than 500 high school students attended a TPUSA Club America tour stop at the school on September 18. The post said Erika Kirk delivered a message to students described as “America First leaders.”

Owens subsequently described the gathering as a “secret” event and said parents had contacted her about it.

Also read: ‘Last tweet in 2018’: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returns to X after 8 years, reveals why his account was inactive

“Parents have emailed me about another ‘secret’ event that Erika is doing today addressing middle schoolers and high schoolers in Idaho,” Owens wrote on X. She said the event was held during the day at a private Christian school and questioned why TPUSA was focusing on political messaging aimed at minors.

Owens later focused her criticism on whether students had actually opted into the event.

She argued that the gathering took place during the regular school day and was organized as a school assembly rather than as an optional Club America meeting. She also claimed parents were informed that they could not attend.

“The students were forced to attend this event as a school assembly,” Owens said in an X post, adding that parents were informed they could not attend alongside them.

Owens then directly challenged Kolvet, asking whether students had signed up to attend or whether the school administration had organized the event as part of the regular school day.

Kolvet , a TPUSA spokesperson, rejected Owens' description of the event and said it was not intended to be publicly marketed because of security concerns.

Also read: Sikh truck driver stabbed 17 times in US; Rep Raja Krishnamoorthi slams ‘rising hatred’ amid deportation post row

“Yeah we don't MARKET the event publicly for security reasons,” Kolvet wrote, according to posts shared on X. He said parents had been informed and had the option to opt their children out, adding that three students did so.

Kolvet also challenged Owens' characterization of the gathering as an unusual type of school event.

“Did you actually never attend a school assembly in high school?” he wrote , arguing that school assemblies are different from regular student chapter meetings.