Candace Owens has launched a fresh attack on Ivanka Trump, devoting a segment of her podcast to criticising Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner over a proposed luxury resort development in Albania. The project is planned for Sazan Island, a coastal area on the Adriatic Sea.
Owens, once a strong Trump supporter, has become an increasingly vocal critic of the president. She used sharp sarcasm to mock how Ivanka has described the project publicly, after Ivanka appeared on a podcast to frame it as a spiritual journey and an accidental discovery made during a boat trip.
Owens dismissed that framing as an attempt to present the project as wholesome, arguing the narrative was designed to distract from broader criticism of the Trump family’s wealth and business dealings. She said the development reflects a pattern of enrichment at a time when many Americans are struggling economically.
The proposed development has triggered large protests in Albania’s capital, Tirana, with demonstrators calling for the project to be cancelled. Signs at the protests have urged the Trump family to leave the island alone, while critics argue the development threatens an area rich in wildlife, including flamingos and sea turtles.
Conservation groups have raised concerns about the lack of environmental review for the project. Albania’s prime minister has pushed back against the criticism, suggesting much of the backlash is driven by the project’s connection to the Trump family rather than its substance.
Owens linked her criticism of the resort to broader concerns about the war in Gaza, referencing reports about financial support for Israeli settlements tied to Kushner’s family. She also pointed to past comments by Kushner about redevelopment plans for the region.
The criticism comes amid wider fallout for Trump among some former allies following recent military action in Iran. Several right leaning commentators have voiced concerns about the administration’s foreign policy direction, with Owens among the most outspoken in recent months.
Clips from the podcast segment quickly spread across social media. Representatives for Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have not issued a new response to the latest comments, though the couple has previously defended the project as a long term investment in the region.
Local opposition groups in Albania say they plan to continue protesting the project, arguing the development process has bypassed normal environmental and planning procedures. The dispute adds to ongoing scrutiny of the Trump family’s business dealings during the administration.
Ethics groups have repeatedly raised questions about potential conflicts of interest tied to family run ventures, and the Albania project has become one of the most prominent examples cited in that debate. Owens has signalled she intends to continue covering the story, suggesting further criticism is likely.
It remains unclear whether the development will proceed as originally planned given the level of public opposition. Protests in Tirana continue as both sides dig in over the future of the island project.
