The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
Yeah.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
Yeah, I mean, I think she's really, really popular outside of not just kind of like hardcore online politics people.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
But I mean, you know, she got really into like celebrity gossip, the Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni lawsuit.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
So I think she's expanded her audience beyond sort of a typical talk radio Ben Shapiro world.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
And, you know, look, I mean, you can look at her metrics on YouTube, which I'm not saying are, you know, down to the view count accurate.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
But each video she's hitting two, three, four million views.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
She's all over TikTok, Instagram.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
And, you know, I mentioned these videos of people saying, you know, is Candace going to make it out alive?
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
These do not seem to be like lunatics.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
You know, they are people who are living in their homes.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
They seem like otherwise regular people who might be watching The Bachelor or something like that.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
And then they're also tuning in like a soap opera to this kind of Candace Owen versus Erica Kirk thing.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
So I think she's very influential.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
I mean, when I talk to, you know, regular people, I mean, people know who Candace Owens is.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
As you said, she's huge on TikTok, among other things.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
Yeah.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
I mean, I think people keep tuning in because it's there's this drama.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
And I mean, I think it was savvy of her.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
She's played this thing with Erica Kirk very well.
The Bulwark Podcast
Will Sommer: Conspiracy Theorists Are Behind the Wheel in the Republican Party
I think, you know, I felt like she was kind of running out of steam in terms of the conspiracy material.