People are protesting all over the U.S. and calling for reforms following the murder of George Floyd in police custody, with a global outpouring of support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
So who does the White House call to discuss the rebellions and how to move the country forward? Vice President Mike Pence invited conservative activist Candace Owens — who has described Floyd as a “horrible human being” — to advise Trump on race relations, police brutality, and inequality.
While Owens is a Black woman, she is not known for her support of issues that concern the Black community. She has been vocal in her dislike of the Black Lives Matter movement, once calling it a group of ”whiny toddlers,” The Daily Mail reported. In fact, in light of the protests, she said Black people protest “for the people in our community who are up to no good,” pointing out that Floyd had a criminal record and allegedly used drugs, The Daily Mail reported.
President Donald Trump jumped on Owens’ tweets chastising Floyd as a “bad” person and retweeted them, according to Business Insider.
The White House seems proud of including Owens in a special roundtable to discuss the protests. Pence tweeted that he had met with some Black Americans on “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.”
Besides Owens, the discussion group included other Black conservatives, including Heritage Foundation President Kay Cole James, Center for Urban Renewal and Education founder Star Parker and Elroy Sailor, who previously served on the Trump transition team.
Owens, 31, is the communications director for Turning Point USA, a pro-Trump youth group.
She has often been the center of controversy. Back in 2018, after hip-hop artist Kanye West tweeted in praise of her, she claimed that West was part of her “Brexit” moment — the “Black exit” from the Democratic Party.” This didn’t sit well with West who shot back in a tweet, “I never wanted any association with Blexit. I have nothing to do with it.”
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Owens has also been banned from GoFundMe for allegedly spreading lies against the Black community after launching a GoFudMe campaign that raised $205,000 for a Birmingham, Alabama café whose owner called George Floyd a “thug,” The Daily Mail reported. The Parkside Café has since apologized for co-owner Michael Dykes’ remarks about Floyd.
