Infighting has erupted among members of Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission over a dispute about antisemitism.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who chairs the commission, announced on X that he had booted Carrie Prejean Boller, a former Miss California USA, from the delegation for defending conspiracy theorist podcaster Candace Owens at a hearing this week.
Owens, whose far-right views have sparked a civil war among MAGA figures, has frequently pushed antisemitic rhetoric on her podcast. During a hearing on Monday, Boller, a Catholic convert, disputed criticisms of Owens while arguing with witnesses, including Seth Dillon, CEO of the conservative satirical site The Babylon Bee, about the definition of antisemitism and whether it should include criticism of Israel.
“Stop calling Candace Owens an anti-Semite. She’s not an anti-Semite. She just doesn’t support Zionism, and that really has to stop,” Boller told Dillon. “I don’t know why you keep bringing her up and Tucker [Carlson].”
Dillon shot back that Owens and Carlson are the “two most famous anti-semites,” while citing Owens’ controversial remarks, such as saying her Jewish critics were from the “synagogue of Satan.”
“No member of the Commission has the right to hijack a hearing for their own personal and political agenda on any issue. This is clearly, without question, what happened Monday in our hearing on antisemitism in America,” Patrick wrote while announcing Boller’s removal. “This was my decision.”
Boller rejected Patrick’s assertion that he could remove her from the federal commission in a lengthy reply on X.
“As the name states, this is President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, not yours. You did not appoint me to the Commission, and you lack authority to remove me from it. This is a gross overstepping of your role and leads me to believe you are acting in alignment with a Zionist political framework that hijacked the hearing, rather than in defense of religious liberty,” Boller wrote.
“We serve as equals on this Commission. Just as I cannot remove you, you cannot remove me.”
She also accused Patrick’s actions of reflecting a “Zionist political agenda,” adding: “I refuse to bend the knee to Israel. I am no slave to a foreign nation, but to Christ our King.”
Boller previously drew criticism during the 2009 Miss USA contest by stating she believed marriage should only be between a man and a woman. She has since moved into political commentary and has been highly critical of other hot-button MAGA issues, including COVID-19 restrictions.
Boller was still listed as a member of the commission on the White House website as of Thursday morning.
The Daily Beast has contacted the Religious Liberty Commission for comment.
