Fact Check: "Candace Owens is a liar"
What We Know
Candace Owens, a prominent conservative commentator, has been involved in legal disputes regarding her claims about COVID-19 statistics. In April 2020, she made posts on Facebook questioning the accuracy of how the U.S. government counted COVID-19 deaths, suggesting that the numbers were inflated. These posts were subsequently fact-checked by organizations like Lead Stories and USA Today, which labeled her claims as false. Owens filed a lawsuit against both organizations, alleging defamation and interference with her business due to the fact-checking articles that resulted in Facebook applying warning labels to her posts.
A Delaware judge dismissed her lawsuit, stating that Owens failed to demonstrate that the fact-checking articles contained false statements under a "reasonable conceivability" standard. The judge emphasized that the political aspects of the case should not influence the legal proceedings (source-2, source-8). The ruling was upheld by the Delaware Supreme Court, confirming that Owens did not present sufficient evidence to support her claims of defamation (source-8).
Analysis
The claim that "Candace Owens is a liar" can be interpreted in various ways. On one hand, Owens has made statements that have been fact-checked and labeled as false by reputable organizations, which suggests that her assertions regarding COVID-19 death counts were misleading. This is supported by the fact-checking articles published by Lead Stories and USA Today, which are recognized for their adherence to journalistic standards.
However, labeling Owens as a "liar" may oversimplify the complexities of her statements and the context in which they were made. Owens has argued that her comments were misrepresented and that the fact-checks were politically motivated, a claim that reflects a broader narrative among some conservative commentators regarding media bias (source-2). The dismissal of her lawsuit does not inherently prove that she is a liar; rather, it indicates that her claims were not legally substantiated in court.
The sources used in this analysis, particularly the news articles from the Associated Press and the court documents, are credible and provide a clear account of the legal proceedings. However, they may carry an inherent bias due to the political nature of the subject matter, as Owens is a polarizing figure in contemporary political discourse.
Conclusion
The verdict on the claim "Candace Owens is a liar" is Partially True. While Owens has made statements that were fact-checked and deemed false, the term "liar" implies intent and a blanket judgment that may not fully capture the nuances of her claims and the context in which they were made. The legal outcomes indicate that her assertions were not supported by evidence in a court of law, but they do not conclusively label her as dishonest in all contexts.
Sources
- Brief In Opposition of USA Today
- Judge tosses suit by Candace Owens over Facebook fact checks
- In the Supreme Court of the State of Delaware
- Sued Lead Stories and USA Today
- In the Supreme Court of the State of Delaware
- Fact Check: Candace Owens did not sign a $25 million deal with ABC
- Judge tosses suit by Candace Owens over Facebook fact checks
- Delaware court upholds dismissal of Candace Owens lawsuit