Conservative commentator Candace Owens is known to rub people the wrong way. The outspoken black author and Republican activist has regularly made comments in opposition of the black community, and while she has faced backlash for her past remarks, it hasn’t deterred her from speaking her mind. Candace Owens has had quite a bit to say about George Floyd’s death and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that she’s made a few controversial statements.
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In her 15-minute video that she uploaded to social media, Candace Owens stated that while she believes former police officer Derek Chauvin should be prosecuted to the fullest extend of the law, she doesn’t agree that Floyd should be made out to look like a hero. “George Floyd was not an amazing person and as soon as this video hit the internet, I did just basic searches and everyone jumped on it and was looking at the police officer and everyone agrees that the police officer was wrong and the police officer has been arrested… He has been turned into the devil that he is and there is no reason for us to harp on that any longer. White Americans are not uplifting Derek Chauvin [like] he’s an amazing human being.”
However, Owens said Floyd is being touted as a good person, and that’s something she doesn’t agree with. “George Floyd is being uplifted like he’s an amazing human being, and for those of you who have not yet seen the clips or did not pursue or wait for more clips to come out—first and foremost, George Floyd, at the time of his arrest was high on fentanyl and he was high on methamphetamine.” She went on to describe the way Floyd was acting, how he allegedly had drugs on him at the time of his arrest, and then she detailed his reported criminal past that included armed robbery.
According to Candace Owens, Floyd’s death shouldn’t be used as a launching pad for protests and riots because he wasn’t an upstanding citizen that everyone has painted him out to be. Unsurprisingly, Owens’s video went viral and she was met with quite a bit of backlash. You can watch her commentary below and read through a few reactions.