In March 2024, popular American commentator Candace Owens was abruptly and shockingly ousted from The Daily Wire, a move that stunned her followers. The outlet claimed the decision stemmed from her “promotion of antisemitic ideas.” Yet behind this cold justification, a more human and more painful narrative was unfolding.
Owens had voiced strong opposition to the war in Gaza, denouncing it as a genocide targeting innocent civilians. Her moral stance, however, appeared too much for the platform to tolerate. It was clear her principled position on the war clashed with the political calculus of the media company.
Ben Shapiro, co-founder of The Daily Wire, appeared conflicted in his defense of the decision, revealing contradictions with his frequent rhetoric about free speech, diversity, and open debate.
Spotlight quickly turned on the platform itself, raising serious questions about its role and positioning as one of the loudest conservative voices backing the Israeli narrative in the United States. But amid this controversy, a larger question loomed: what do we really know about The Daily Wire, beyond the polished slogans it promotes?
When Was It Founded?
The Daily Wire is one of the most prominent right-wing media companies in the United States. Founded in 2015 by political commentator Ben Shapiro and filmmaker Jeremy Boreing, it is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Since its inception, it has grown into a powerful force on social media, particularly on Facebook.
The company produces a wide range of media content, notably podcasts like The Ben Shapiro Show, which enjoy massive reach. It has also ventured into entertainment, producing conservative-oriented films and video series.
In 2022, The Daily Wire expanded by launching its own subscription streaming service, DailyWire+, followed in 2023 by a children’s content platform called Bentkey. With this growing presence, the company has become a key player in shaping the political and cultural consciousness of a significant segment of conservative Gen Z Americans, thanks to a modern media style that resonates with younger audiences.
Who Is the Founder?
Ben Shapiro is at the heart of The Daily Wire. Raised in an affluent Orthodox Jewish family, his religious identity has clearly influenced his worldview and ideological trajectory. Over time, social media became his primary stage, where he delivered a hardline conservative message to millions of followers.
Before launching The Daily Wire, Shapiro worked at Breitbart from 2012 to 2016. There, he made a name for himself with relentless attacks on leftist movements and feminism. Open about his religious affiliation, he often emphasizes that his Orthodox Jewish beliefs shape how he interprets the world.
Yet beneath the polished delivery, many critics argue Shapiro harbors deeply partisan views, especially his unwavering support for Zionism and Israeli policies, both inside and beyond Palestinian territories. This has increasingly drawn criticism for blatant double standards in his positions on human rights and justice.
What Is His Relationship With Israel?
Shapiro is widely regarded as one of the most vocal American defenders of Israeli policy. A staunch Zionist, his comments during the recent Gaza war caused uproar he implied that civilians could be considered legitimate targets, and defended the bombing of civilian infrastructure as a “military necessity.”
He carefully avoided framing these actions as war crimes or human rights violations.
As civilian casualties in Gaza mounted and international reports highlighted grave abuses, Shapiro was accused of downplaying the humanitarian disaster. He often described the atrocities using sanitized language like “collateral damage” or “self-defense,” leading many to question whether his political loyalties outweighed a commitment to truth and justice.
Where Does the Platform Stand on Palestine?
At its core, The Daily Wire pushes a narrative deeply hostile to the Palestinian cause. The platform routinely recycles talking points that deny the historical foundations of the Palestinian struggle.
In various episodes of its “Facts” series, it promotes the idea that Israel is “historically Jewish land,” and claims the name “Palestine” was a Roman invention intended to insult Jews, further arguing that Palestinians only appeared after the Islamic conquests in the 7th century.
The platform’s overall message follows a clear pattern: denying the settler-colonial nature of Zionism, framing Palestinian resistance movements exclusively as “terrorist organizations” without addressing the context of occupation, and launching constant attacks on journalists, academics, and activists who promote human rights perspectives or criticize Israeli policy.
How Does the Platform Push Its Narrative?
To entrench its narrative and expand its influence especially among young Americans The Daily Wire recruits prominent conservative personalities with large digital followings. One such figure is right-wing activist Matt Walsh, who used the platform to defend Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, describing it as a “just war,” perfectly echoing the outlet’s ideological stance.
Another notable figure is Jordan Peterson, the well-known psychologist and author of 12 Rules for Life. Peterson’s surprise decision to join The Daily Wire sparked controversy especially after he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then tweeted in support of turning Gaza into “hell.”
He also offered sweeping praise of Jewish people as the “origin of success” and the “model of excellence.”
These actions led many on the political left to accuse Peterson of complete alignment with the Zionist project. His role at The Daily Wire, they argue, further entrenched the outlet’s position as a major force promoting the Israeli narrative in contemporary American media.
What Is the Underlying Agenda?
The Daily Wire represents the traditional Zionist-conservative voice within the American right. Its media dominance partly responds to newer right-wing trends that have begun to question, or outright criticize, unconditional support for Israel a phenomenon some analysts describe as the erosion of the “pro-Israel orthodoxy” in conservative circles.
In this context, The Daily Wire functions as a political and media weapon, targeting pro-Palestinian student movements and even Christian and right-wing figures critical of Israeli policy.
Its messaging brands these dissenting groups as “left-wing extremists,” “antisemites,” or “Islamist terror sympathizers,” attempting to delegitimize them in public discourse and neutralize their influence within American political and media ecosystems.
How Does It Target Gen Z?
The Daily Wire aggressively invests in content tailored to Gen Z through YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Using short videos, podcasts, and a fast-paced communication style, the platform appeals to the sensibilities of younger audiences. Young influencers like Isabel Brown and Brett Cooper are at the forefront of this strategy, presenting themselves as relatable and charismatic figures.
Ben Shapiro and The Daily Wire’s talk shows leverage these personalities to sway students and activists on American campuses. Their conservative messaging is laced with strong support for Israel, often promoted through events sponsored by right-wing groups like Turning Point USA.
The platform’s broader strategy fuses Zionist support with a conservative identity politics targeted at Gen Z linking pro-Israel positions with values such as personal freedom, morality, and cultural responsibility.
Through intellectual figures like Jordan Peterson, The Daily Wire seeks to package this ideology as thoughtful and humanitarian, rather than propagandistic framing sympathy for Israel as an extension of defending “Western values.”
What About Generation Alpha?
The Daily Wire’s ambitions extend far beyond Gen Z. Recognizing the difficulty of shaping current public opinion, the outlet has shifted its focus toward a younger demographic: Generation Alpha.
Its goal is to mold the consciousness of children from an early age with pro-Zionist narratives and a rigid worldview.
To this end, The Daily Wire launched Bentkey, a $100 million children’s media project, reflecting a clear intent to influence young minds at the earliest stages of development.
This initiative reveals that the platform is not merely investing in today’s youth, but in the worldview of future generations aiming to raise children immersed in a singular narrative about who to believe and what to support.
How Did the Owens Controversy Expose the Platform’s Hypocrisy?
The firing of Candace Owens for speaking out against Israel’s war in Gaza and voicing support for Palestine laid bare The Daily Wire’s glaring contradictions. Commentators quickly reminded audiences that the platform had previously condemned “cancel culture” and criticized companies for penalizing employees over political disagreements.
Owens’ dismissal, then, became for many a symbol of the outlet’s betrayal of its own stated principles.
The episode also made one thing unmistakably clear: unwavering support for Israel and Zionism is not just an opinion at The Daily Wire it is a cornerstone of its editorial identity. Criticism of Israeli policies, even from a high-profile host, is a red line that can cost careers and reputations.
In light of all this, The Daily Wire has evolved from a conservative media outlet into one of the most influential voices promoting far-right and Zionist narratives in Western media. With a growing ability to shape the worldviews of Gen Z and Generation Alpha, it presents a formidable challenge.
For Arab societies and their media institutions, this moment calls for a strategic response: developing cutting-edge digital content, leveraging influential voices, and crafting a cultural and political message that challenges the Israeli narrative and presents alternative perspectives to young Western audiences ensuring that the global conversation around Palestine is not dominated by a single, unilateral voice.
 | A guest post by
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