Did trusted California Pastor Jack Hibbs play a role in Charlie Kirk’s assassination? Are Calvary Chapels a secret military operation to manipulate Christians into supporting Israel? According to disgraced commentator Candace Owens, the answer to both questions is yes.
In a recent podcast, Owens began by telling her audience about an “interesting tip” her team received about “an old man talking to a bush” during the Turning Point USA campus event where Charlie Kirk was killed.
“Bush did 9/11, but did Bush [shrubbery] do 9/10?” she jokingly asked, implying that this man could somehow be involved in the murder of Kirk.
Owens claimed that she initially disregarded the tip until she uncovered that the identity of this individual was Burton ‘Butch’ Hibbs, the brother of Calvary Chapel Pastor, Jack Hibbs. Suddenly, the man allegedly “talking to a bush” became much more interesting to Owensโwho recently began a smear campaign targeting Calvary Chapels.
“Now, what’s compelling is really that, just like every other one of these new age Turning Point pastors, the Hibbs are from a military family,” she stated. “Butch Senior was in the Navy. What he did in the Navy is unclear, but I’m interested. I’m just really interested.”
Owens didn’t shy away from implying that Jack Hibbs and other Calvary Chapel pastors were “involved in this Utah story”โmeaning Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Jack Hibbs was a close friend and advisor to Charlie Kirk. But apparently, his brother’s attendance at the event and his father’s military background are evidence enough that he played a role in Kirk’s death. This is truly the height of absurdity.
“There’s just a lot happening here, is all I want to say,” she added. “And I find it to be odd. There’s a picture emerging here.”
A Zionist Military Operation?
What is Candace Owens’ real problem with Calvary Chapels? They stand with Israel, whom Owens hopelessly attempts to link to the murder of Charlie Kirk.
After his death, Owens sought to cast doubt on the Turning Point USA Founder’s love for the Jewish Stateโa claim quickly refuted by the mountains of online content and statements where Kirk vocally declared himself to be a zionist (an individual who believes the Jews have a historic and God-given right to the land of Israel).
Kirk surrounded himself with like-minded individuals who shared his Biblically founded love for Israel, many of whom were present at the event on the day of his death. Wow, Candace! You really did unearth something shocking, didn’t you?
Common sense clearly is not Owens’ preferred narrative. According to Owens, it was Israel and the Jew-loving Calvary Chapel preachers whodunit!
The preposterous allegations didn’t stop there. Owens went on to call Calvary Chapels an invention of the military, created to carry out a “psychological operation” to garner support for Israel.
“I am wondering about these new age pastors. Like, is that what everybody does when they leave the military, they start a church?… Or are we looking at an operation? That’s the question that I have,” she alleged to the audience. “If you are a part of Calvary Chapel anywhere, I would just wonder if your pastor just came from the military, and if he’s from a high-ranking military family.”
“Did the military execute an operation, a psychological operation on the American people to get us to support Christian Zionism after World War II?” Owens stated. “Kind of the question that I think is hanging in the air right now.”
For the sake of time, I am going to move on from the statement branding Jack Hibbs and other Calvary Chapel Pastors as “new age.” Either she is attempting to redefine the term, or more likely, her lack of theological understanding has rendered her ignorant of what it means.
Is This What We Are Calling Journalism Today?
Owens treated the podcast episode as a citizen-journalism type investigation, where the viewers are “in it together,” sending in tips to uncover the truth. Of course, this isn’t journalism by any stretch of the imaginationโand the goal was not to pursue the truth. The podcast desperately strung together unverified theories from across the internet, outlandish exaggerations, and reckless speculation.
As the late Dr. Chuck Misslerโwho was also a zionist closely affiliated with Calvary Chapelโoften stated: “torture the data long enough, and it will confess to anything.”
Candace, you tortured the data in front of millions of viewers, trying to make it confess to your delusional anti-Israel ideologyโand you certainly did not come across as hard-hitting or remotely respectable. Watching the podcast, a person could easily picture you with a cluttered wall in your basement, covered with images of your “zionist enemies” and a vast, confusing web of strings pinned in every which direction.
Owens calls it journalism; others might call it gross negligence and defamation. The manipulation of data was intentional, aimed at tarnishing others’ reputations with little regard for facts.
To be fair, even the most well-known news media organizations have done away with journalistic standards when it comes to Israel and its supportersโsimilarly weiving conspiracies and blood libels.
What makes Owens’ so-called “investigation” all the more shameful is her insistence that she is a Christian defending the truth. Unfortunately, just as she tortures the data surrounding Israel and the assassination of Charlie Kirk, she applies the same method to the Bible, striving to make it also confess to her madness.
While intentionally misrepresenting the actions of individuals could place her in court one day, intentionally misrepresenting God’s Wordโwithout repentanceโwill land her before a very different judgment seat.
