Canadace owens

Conservative activist Candace Owens 'considering' running for office

Conservative activist and commentator Candace Owens said Thursday she has decided to seek public office, though she's mum on when she’ll be running and against who.

Owens, the former communications director at Turning Point USA, told Fox News that while she has been approached numerous times in the past to launch a political campaign, she made the decision on Wednesday evening after a conversation with her husband.

“We’ve come to a junction where it’s not enough just to comment on politics but to get involved in it,” Owens said.

She also tweeted Thursday: "Never had any desire to [run for office] previously, but something changed in me last night."

She said that, at the moment, she is “keeping things under wraps” as to what she will running for and in what election cycle, but noted that she is eyeing either a seat in the U.S. Senate or a governor’s mansion. Owens added that she will only run against an incumbent Democrat, not any Republicans.

“They’re all vulnerable,” she said of Democrats. “And right now is a perfect storm to see how people are leading."

While she did not mention anyone by name, Owens was critical of governors’ responses to the coronavirus pandemic currently ensnaring the nation – calling Democratic state leaders “crooked” politicians who are using the crisis to benefit them politically.

“They’re using this crisis to get themselves out of their own crises,” she said. “I’m sick of this sort of corruption.

Owens is a prominent conservative commentator and activist best known for her work in the #BLEXIT movement – a push to get African-Americans to leave the Democratic Party. Her career has been embroiled in controversy – from her 2018 comments that “Hitler just wanted to make Germany great and have things run well” to her comments on mass shootings.

Most recently, Owens has downplayed the seriousness of the coronavirus and argued the country is enmeshed in a "doomsday cult" of liberal paranoia.

REPUBLICAN activist Candace Owens claimed she and her husband were stopped by cops in a Washington D.C. Whole Foods for not wearing face masks.

According to a video posted Tuesday, Owens said she was not made aware of a mandate from the mayor issued last week that requires face masks in grocery stores – posting her grievance in a fuming rant.

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Candace Owens is a pro-Trump activist and political commentator

CANDACE OWENS

Owens went on a fuming rant after she was reportedly stopped by a police officer at a Whole Foods for not wearing a face mask during the coronavirus pandemic

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Alongside practising other coronavirus social distancing measures such as remaining at least six feet away from other customers, Mayor Muriel Bowser's mandate signed on April 8 requires all patrons "wear a mask or mouth covering."

The order went into effect in Washington D.C. on April 9 – but shoppers were not required to wear masks in stores until Monday, NBCreported.

Owens – who is known for her pro-Trump views and attacks on Democrats and Black Lives Matter – first tweeted about being stopped by police.

"WOW. Just had a police officer called over to me and my husband at Whole Foods bc we were not wearing masks," she tweeted.

"We come to this @WholeFoods EVERY DAY. Apparently beginning yesterday, it is now illegal to come in without a mask. Total deaths in D.C from Covid? 69.

"WTF if going on?" Owens questioned

Owens added: "I said 'I don't have a mask. I haven't bought one.'"

"I didn't race to buy toilet paper... I'm not a part of like, the corona crazies you know. I'm not a part of the tin foil hat, bunkering in my basement. I'm just living my life."

Owens said the police officer then told her she would have to cover her mouth as she shopped in the store.

"We must've been in the store for like, four minutes picking some stuff, and the police officer chases me down and she says that she's getting complaints that I don't have a mask on."

Although health experts originally recommended only sick people wear face masks in public, at the beginning of April the CDC updated its guidelines to recommend everyone wear face coverings in public.

The CDC noted that many people who have the virus may be "asymptomatic"  – or may not have developed symptoms yet, even though they've contracted the virus – so the agency updated the guidelines.

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Owens is pictured with President Trump

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Owens is pictured with President Trump

"First of all, if you're going to have a mandate, you better supply them – I'm not spending my money on getting masks," she continued.

It "makes no sense" because "deaths have gone down."

"We have not seen an outbreak of COVID-19. We have not seen an increase in deaths.

"This is just erratic. This is just a game of Simon Says," she added, noting that the death toll in Washington D.C. is 69 – which she said is "extremely, extremely low."

With a population of roughly 702,000, D.C. has confirmed 2,058 cases of coronavirus.

As of Tuesday, the U.S had registered more than 589,000 cases of the virus. More than 25,000 Americans have died.

Despite the numbers, Owens said having to wear a mask was "absolutely crazy."