Candace Owens' Comments on Kanye, Hitler Resurface After 'Infowars'

Candace Owens' past comments on Adolf Hitler and her friend Kanye West have resurfaced on Twitter after the rapper praised the genocidal Nazi dictator during a recent interview.

During an appearance on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' show Infowars alongside white nationalist Nick Fuentes on Thursday, West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, praised Hitler and denigrated Jewish people and Israel.

The musician and fashion designer, 45, said that he "liked" Hitler and that nobody knew the meaning of antisemitism until he started sharing conspiracy theories about Jewish people this year.

"They did good things, too," West said during the interview, which has sparked widespread backlash. "We've got to stop dissing the Nazis all the time."

West's interview came after he made a string of antisemitic comments both on social media and in interviews in October and November. His actions have led to him losing a number of lucrative business deals, including with Adidas and Balenciaga.

West's most recent antisemitic comments prompted a number of Twitter users to share screenshots of a post that Owens made on social media one month prior, in which she defended West from those who had likened him to Hitler.

"Anybody correlating Ye to Adolf Hitler should no longer be taken seriously as a commentator, politician, or journalist anymore," Owens wrote on Parler in late October. "Just an absolute joke."

Owens, whose husband George Farmer is the CEO of Parler, made the comments days after it was announced that West was set to acquire the social media platform, which is favored by those on the far right. Parler prides itself on not censoring its users.

However, on Thursday Parler said in a statement that West would no longer be purchasing the platform—a decision that had apparently been made around two weeks ago.

"In response to numerous media inquiries, Parlement Technologies would like to confirm that the company has mutually agreed with Ye to terminate the intent of sale of Parler," the statement said. "This decision was made in the interest of both parties in mid-November. Parler will continue to pursue future opportunities for growth and the evolution of the platform for our vibrant community."

A clip that circulated on social media this week showed Owens speaking about Hitler while defending the concept of nationalism during an event in London in 2018, per The Washington Post.

"If Hitler just wanted to make Germany great and have things run well, okay, fine," Owens said in the clip. "The problem is that he wanted, he had dreams outside of Germany. He wanted to globalize."

Also shared was a screenshot of Owens tweeting earlier this year: "I love the way Kanye West thinks." The comment mirrored West's 2018 tweet in which he expressed similar sentiments about the right-wing commentator.

After Owens criticized West's ex-wife Kim Kardashian for her delay in speaking out against Balenciaga over its campaign images of children posing with teddy bears dressed in bondage gear, social media users asked the Candace host when she would do the same of her musician friend over his antisemitism.

Owen said in a November 25 tweet, captured in a screenshot: "Ye is my friend. I will continue to be his friend. I do believe he is a genius."

Another Twitter user posted a screenshot of Owens' tweet commending West's mindset, alongside a video clip of the rapper's Infowars appearance.

At some junctures in his Infowars appearance on Thursday, West's comments were so inflammatory that Jones pushed back following several minutes of the rapper accusing Jews of being pedophiles.

"I think most Jews are great people," Jones said. "But I agree there's a Jewish mafia."

"You've got a bit of a Hitler fetish going on," Jones added.

"It's not a fetish," Ye responded. "I just like information."

West and Fuentes, a far-right figure who has made denigrating comments about Jewish people and other minority groups, said they were not antisemitic throughout the appearance, with Fuentes adding there are numerous "good" Jewish people out there, including the conspiracy theorist and failed congressional candidate Laura Loomer.

At one point, Fuentes appeared to downplay the Germans' use of concentration camps, saying that the United States "had camps as well." He said there was a Jewish cabal running numerous facets of modern society, and that West's comments did not cause any harm.

West added that Democratic megadonor George Soros—a Jewish man who has become a boogeyman of the far right—could one day "come to Christ."

"I don't think Ye or I are saying that any group is particularly bad or that the Jews as a group are bad, but there are Jewish practices that are based on Jewish law, and there is clearly some kind of a Jewish mafia," Fuentes said.

West's current cycle of controversy started in early October when he and Owens wore shirts emblazoned with the words "White Lives Matter," a slogan commonly used by white supremacists, as well as general opponents of the Black Lives Matter movement.

On Thursday, West's Twitter account was suspended after he shared an image of the swastika over the Star of David—a symbol of Judaism—with the caption: "YE24 LOVE EVERYONE." The tweet was removed shortly afterward.

West returned to Twitter in November after he was previously suspended in October for posting antisemitic remarks, including saying he would "go death con 3" on Jewish people.