Conservative podcaster Candace Owens, known for spreading conspiracy theories, asked if one should anticipate an Israel false flag operation amid the Iran war. This came after claims were made on social media that ‘multiple’ senior Trump officials had ‘quietly moved’ to fortified housing near Washington DC.
Owens wrote on X, “Does this mean we should anticipate an Israeli false flag?.” She shared the claim of Trump officials moving into fortified military housing near DC to seemingly add context to her post.
A false flag operation is a political or military tactic, where a harmful act is committed and disguised to make it appear as though another party were responsible.
However, the claims of Trump officials moving into fortified military housing though made to seem recent are not. It was reported back in 2025 that several top officials were moving into such accommodations including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Recently, it was only reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi had moved into military housing because of threats. Notably, these threats were believed to stem from Bondi’s work against drug cartels and her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
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These movements have not been directly linked to threats from Iran, but Bondi’s move does come at a time when the US and Israel are engaged in war with Iran. The countries had jointly carried out strikes which killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Now, the US is on the alert for possible attacks, President Donald Trump said to the press today that they have eyes on ‘all sleeper cells’. Further, the FBI also reportedly warned of Iran wanting to attack California using drones. However, there were speculations of a possible false flag attack in that instance as well.
Candace Owens claims of Israel false flag ops: Fact-checked
Owens’ claim of a false flag operation, however, is not based on any fact. The US and Israel have repeatedly affirmed they are allies in the conflict against Iran.
Grok fact-checked the claims as well, saying “The officials’ move to secure military housing near DC is factual—confirmed by NYT, The Atlantic (Oct 2025 onward), and others. Reasons cited: threats, protests, doxxing, cartel risks (e.g., Bondi post-Maduro/Epstein), not false flags.”
The AI chatbot then added “Candace’s suggestion of an “Israeli false flag” is pure speculation with zero evidence in reports. No link there.”