A recent report from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald has brought to light allegations that the Daily Wire obtained a gag order against former host Candace Owens, impacting a highly anticipated public debate with co-founder Ben Shapiro on Israel and antisemitism.
Owens, who left the Daily Wire in March, had challenged Shapiro to the debate following her departure, prompted by her criticisms of U.S. financial support to Israel and the actions of Israel in Gaza. These comments had also allegedly been the basis of her separation from the organization.
Despite Shapiro and Daily Wire CEO Jeremy Boreing initially expressing interest in organizing the debate, with Shapiro even agreeing to host it on his show, the debate’s specifics became a point of contention. Owens proposed moderators like Joe Rogan or Lex Fridman, while Shapiro preferred a format without moderators. Eventually, they agreed on a no-moderator debate.
However, despite public appearances of agreement, behind the scenes, the Daily Wire reportedly pursued a gag order against Owens. This action was based on accusations that her call for a debate and subsequent tweets disparaged Shapiro, violating a non-disparagement clause in her contract. The company argued that her approach to requesting the debate was itself a form of disparagement.
The private arbitrator sided with the Daily Wire, ruling that Owens’ social media activities and her negotiations over the debate constituted disparagement of Shapiro and the organization. The arbitrator imposed a gag order, preventing Owens from making any future comments that could harm the reputation of the Daily Wire or Shapiro.
This decision effectively ensures that the debate between Owens and Shapiro will not occur, as any such event would violate the terms set by the gag order. The Daily Wire maintains that while they support open debate in principle, the specifics of Owens’ approach made the debate untenable under their current legal framework.
When asked to comment on the situation, Owens expressed her inability to speak on the matter, stating, “I wish I could comment on this but I can’t.”
Jeremy Boreing, on the other hand, challenged the accuracy of reports but did not deny the imposition of the gag order, highlighting the complexities of resolving such high-profile disputes privately.
Boreing told Greenwald, who initially reported on the gag order, that his report “is inaccurate to the point of being false…I’m sure you can appreciate how fraught a high-profile break-up like this is. For that reason, we are trying to resolve our issues with Candace privately,”
Either way, the situation underscores the tensions within the Daily Wire concerning the limits of public discourse among its hosts, particularly on sensitive topics like Israel and antisemitism. Despite previous assurances of valuing free speech, the organization’s actions suggest a more constrained approach when internal disagreements escalate into public and legal arenas.