Entering the public eye in just 2017, Brandon Tatum’s rise to fame has been astronomic. After resigning from the police, he served as director of urban engagement for Turning Point USA for two years before founding his own media company. For years, he was a close ally of Candace Owens. Together in 2019, they founded BLEXIT, a TPUSA-endorsed foundation that encouraged black Americans to leave the Democratic Party and re-register as Republicans. In 2021, he released his first book: Beaten Black And Blue: Being A Black Cop in an America Under Seige, and today, his The Office Tatum channel on YouTube boasts just shy of 4 million subscribers.
Why did we invite him on?
It’s no secret that Brandon was close to Charlie Kirk. It’s why he’s been so proactive in combating what he sees as the “ruination” of his legacy by bad actors. In this case, it’s not the left; it’s his friends. And not just Charlie’s friends, but Brandon’s too.
Brandon hasn’t flinched in naming who those people are, but we wanted to sit down and talk to him about his assessment of the American Right post-Charlie Kirk.
What did we learn?
”The amount of conspiracies around Charlie Kirk’s death… It’s the craziest thing they’ve ever experienced. And I’m part of them; I know Charlie, I know Erika, I know his team, I know all of these people. I worked for Turning Point. Some people are ignorant, but some people know better, and it makes my blood boil. It’s so egregious.”
For anyone who valued free expression, civil dialogue, and the power of debate, the brutal and public murder of Charlie Kirk was devastating. Weeks later, it still doesn’t feel real. One can hardly imagine what it’s like for someone who worked alongside him, like Brandon. To us, the wild conspiracy theories are tiresome. To Brandon, they’re repugnant. Understandably so.
In the wake of shocking events, conspiracy theories are inevitable. People don’t like unanswered questions, and conspiracies offer that lifeline. That’s also understandable, and perhaps those people can’t be blamed. However, for many, it’s an excuse to fuel their own bigotries. At the new low of conservative support for Israel, many are looking there for someone to blame. To Brandon, it’s hardly surprising.
”To some people, everything that happens leads to Jew Street - everything goes back to the Jews. And that will make them go to outrageous lengths to make [Jews] responsible.”
When talk of right-wing conspiracy theories that pin the blame for Charlie Kirk’s murder on Israel comes up, it’s impossible to ignore the elephant in the room - the single most feverish conservative pundit on this issue. The person who has done more than anyone to cast doubt on the established story.
”People think they know Candace Owens. They don’t really know Candace.”
Brandon and Candace have been friends for years. He tells the story of how they first met. After seeing some of his videos, she invited him to meet up. When he arrived, he was greeted by Candace and (unannounced) her extended family. For three hours, sharing a feast, the two argued the conservative position to “her family of Democrats.” From that day, they were more than just close. For Brandon, watching her go down this path isn’t just confusing - it’s painful.
”Candace is like a sister; I knew her more than Charlie. She’s like my family. We started Blexit together. Her aunt and my momma are best friends. Her dad is in hospital, and I went to visit him. Our children play together. It’s hard to watch the things she says, because I don’t know where it’s hard to know where it’s coming from. And it’s hard for me to address it even privately, because I don’t want to lose that friendship. That’s bigger than politics for me. People see her as a lunatic, but I don’t see her as that person.”
But what’s motivated her change of tune? If Brandon and Candace were thick as thieves, and now so far divided, something must have happened.
”I know some people who are bought. But I think Candace believes what she’s saying… with her whole heart. Which makes it even more confusing for me. I don’t know how anyone would think Israel killed Charlie, it’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Many of the conspiracies hinge on the since-revealed apprehension Charlie was feeling towards Israel. For years, Charlie was an unflinching defender of the cause. But in the months leading up to his murder, phrases like ‘ethnic cleansing’ began to enter his vocabulary, he began to platform speakers like Dave Smith and Tucker Carlson who publicly condemned the state’s actions, and in a now-public letter to Netanyahu, he seemed to plead with the Prime Minister. It might not be proof of anything, but is it all that surprising that people have looked there?
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