Trump retweets interview with controversial activist Candace Owens in which she says 'the fact that George Floyd is held up as a martyr sickens me' - one day after Mike Pence invited her to the White House

  • Candace Owens gave an interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck on Friday discussing the death of George Floyd 
  • Owens brought up Floyd's lengthy prison sentence for armed robbery and stated: 'The fact that he has been held up as a martyr sickens me'
  • She also claimed that black Americans are 'unwilling to talk about how we contribute to our own demise' and that Floyd was a symbol of 'a broken culture'
  • Beck posted part of the interview to his Twitter account Friday evening; it was quickly retweeted by President Trump  
  • Owens attended a roundtable on race relations  at the White House with Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday ' 
  • Owens is frequently in the news for her controversial views; she has described liberals as 'trolls' and called Meghan Markle 'a witch' 

President Trump has retweeted a video of black conservative activist Candace Owens denigrating George Floyd and describing him as a symbol of a 'broken culture in black America today'. 

Owens made the controversial remarks during an interview with radio host Glenn Beck Friday, during which she also stated: 'The fact that he has been held up as a martyr sickens me'. 

Floyd died in Minneapolis on Memorial Day after white police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while arresting him for a suspected passing of a fake $20 bill. 

His death sparked passionate protests across the country, with demonstrators calling for police reform and an end to systemic racism. 

President Trump has retweeted a video of black conservative activist Candace Owens denigrating George Floyd and describing him as a symbol of a 'broken culture in black America today'. Pictured: President Trump on a tour of a medical swab manufacturing facility yesterday

President Trump has retweeted a video of black conservative activist Candace Owens denigrating George Floyd and describing him as a symbol of a 'broken culture in black America today'. Pictured: President Trump on a tour of a medical swab manufacturing facility yesterday

President Trump has retweeted the video of the controversial remarks Owens made in an interview

President Trump has retweeted the video of the controversial remarks Owens made in an interview

Owens, the communications director for Turning Point USA, a pro-Trump youth group, has become a household name on the right for her controversial takes
Trump (pictured on a tour of a medical swab manufacturing facility yesterday) was quick to retweet Candice's interview with Glenn Beck. Owens and Trump have met on multiple occasions

Trump was quick to retweet Candice's interview with Glenn Beck. Owens and Trump have met on multiple occasions 

Controversial pundit Owens initially held liberal views and was critical of President Trump, before changing her political beliefs 'overnight'. Pictured: President Trump on a tour of a medical swab manufacturing facility yesterday

Controversial pundit Owens initially held liberal views and was critical of President Trump, before changing her political beliefs 'overnight'. Pictured: President Trump on a tour of a medical swab manufacturing facility yesterday

Floyd has been hailed as a 'mentor to a generation of young men' and 'a de-facto community leader' - but Owens insists people aren't being honest about Floyd's entire backstory. 

During her interview with Beck - which he posted to Twitter before it was shared by President Trump - Owens stated:  'George Floyd was not a good person. I don't care who wants to spin that, I don't care how CNN wants to make you think that he had just turned his life around'. 

Owens went on to reference the fact that Floyd had served five stints in jail - including one for aggravated assault stemming from a robbery in which he entered a pregnant woman's home, pointed a gun at her stomach and searched the premises for drugs and money. 

Floyd's death has sparked passionate protests across the country, with demonstrators calling for police reform and an end to systemic racism

Owens told Beck: ''George Floyd was not a good person. I don't care who wants to spin that, I don't care how CNN wants to make you think that he had just turned his life around'. A protester carries an illustration of George Floyd at a rally on Friday 

'Was he really going to turn things around? It's just not true' Owens said of Floyd, who was a 46-year-old father-of-five.

In the interview, Owens repeatedly referred to the pregnant woman who was assaulted by Floyd. 

'This woman now has to watch him be help up as a hero. I can't even think about the trauma!'

Trump simply retweeted the clip without adding his own comments. 

Beck's own caption beneath his video interview with Owens read: 'I don't care WHAT George Floyd did. The officer should have never treated him like that and killed him! But we still must ask: Is he a HERO?'

Earlier this week, Owens made similar statements in a video she shared to Facebook Live.  

'We [black Americans] are unique in that we are the only people that fight and scream and demand support and justice for the people in our community who are up to no good,' she stated. 

George Floyd in an undated photograph

 George Floyd in an undated photograph

She said that no Jewish person, or Hispanic person, or white person would embrace someone who had done 'five stints in prison.' 

'George Floyd was not an amazing person,' she told viewers.  

'George Floyd, at the time of his arrest, was high on fentanyl and methamphetamine,' she stated.  

She said her criticism was in no way defending what the lead officer Derek Chauvin did, by kneeing Floyd in the neck, until he was unresponsive. 

On Thursday, The White House came under fire for inviting Owens to a roundtable on race relations in the wake of her remarks. 

Vice President Mike Pence hosted the discussion on Thursday. 

 Pence tweeted out that he had met with some black Americans - including Owens- and explained that the group had discussed 'how we can move our Nation forward in the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd and the protests and rioting that have ensued.'  

Following her attendance at Thursday's White House roundtable, she sent out a tweet to her 2.2 million followers which stated: 'Black lives only matter to white liberals, every 4 years, ahead of an election. I'm so sorry to those of you that thought otherwise.' 

Vice President Mike Pence (right) included black conservative activist Candace Owens (far left) in a discussion Thursday about the 'tragic death of George Floyd and the protests and rioting that have ensued'

Vice President Mike Pence (right) included black conservative activist Candace Owens (far left) in a discussion Thursday about the 'tragic death of George Floyd and the protests and rioting that have ensued' 

Owens, the communications director for Turning Point USA, a pro-Trump youth group led by Charlie Kirk, has become a household name on the right for her controversial takes.  

She hosts a popular podcast and boasts 2.2 million Twitter followers. 

Back in April, she told her followers she was considering running for office.  

She did not specify where and when she will run.  

Owens is pictured above with Donald Trump and her husband George Farmer

Owens is pictured above with Donald Trump and her husband George Farmer 

Owens was born in Stamford, Connecticut and is a current resident of New York. 

She once interned at Vogue and dropped out of the University of Rhode Island, where she was studying journalism. 

The controversial pundit initially held liberal views and was critical of President Trump, before changing her political beliefs 'overnight'. 

'I became a conservative overnight ... I realized that liberals were actually the racists. Liberals were actually the trolls,' she stated in 2018. 

Owens is married to Oxford graduate George Farmer, the son of Lord Farmer, a Baron and former treasurer of the British Conservative Party. 

Owens is married to Oxford graduate George Former, the son of Lord Farmer, a Baron and former treasurer of the British Conservative Party.  They wed last year

Owens is married to Oxford graduate George Former, the son of Lord Farmer, a Baron and former treasurer of the British Conservative Party.  They wed last year 

Owens is frequently in the headlines for giving her controversial opinions on the culture wars.  

Last year, she hit out at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, after the former Suits star broke down on a trip to South Africa claiming she had found royal life difficult. 

'Using African children as a backdrop to complain about your over-privileged life is offensive,' Owens said of the American-born Duchess. 

She also took aim at Prince Harry, saying: 'Invoking your own mother's tragic death to demand the press stop calling out your hypocritical wife is downright disgusting. 

WHO IS CANDACE OWENS?  

Owens, 31, is the communications director for Turning Points USA, a conservative youth organization.

She has made a name for herself by making controversial claims about race relations in the US and through an alliance with Kanye West. 

Owens' beliefs include that former president Barack Obama is to blame for disintegrating race relations in America and that Kanye West is one of the 'bravest men' in the country for lodging his support with Trump. 

She has appeared in the past on Fox and Friends where she shared her extreme belief that black Americans are being held down by the Democratic party.

The young activist gained attention when Kanye West tweeted that he 'liked the way she thinks' last year. 

Owens grabbed attention last April when Kanye West tweeted his support of her

Owens grabbed attention last April when Kanye West tweeted his support of her 

She replied desperately asking him for a meeting and telling him how much he inspired her. 

In addition to working for Turning Points, she runs a YouTube channel and show where she interviews guests and discusses national issues. 

Owens notoriously dislikes Black Lives Matter, which she labels as a group of 'whiny toddlers'.  

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