The US conservative commentator told RT that she has been stunned by the city of Moscow during her first visit to the city

US conservative commentator Candace Owens says she has been stunned after visiting Moscow for the first time and has laughed off mainstream media "fiction" about her visit to Russia.

Speaking to RT's Rick Sanchez in an upcoming interview on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Owens said she was struck by how "clean, safe, beautiful, and historic" Moscow is, adding that the city has defied the assumptions Americans are encouraged to hold.

Owens described the hostility toward Russia in the US as a "Cold War hangover," saying Americans are simply told that Russia is "a no-no, and a no-go."

The former Daily Wire host also said the reaction to her trip in the US had been "laughable," pointing to a stream of media claims and online rumors about her motives, funding, and alleged links to foreign actors.

Owens initially rose to prominence in the late 2010s by using her platform to urge black voters to stop supporting the Democrats. She joined Ben Shapiro's Daily Wire in 2020, where her self-titled podcast reached millions of viewers. However, she was fired four years later following a public dispute with Shapiro over Israel's war in Gaza.

Owens later broke with US President Donald Trump over his support for Israel. Following the launch of her own show on YouTube, the popular podcaster drew criticism for controversial statements, including suggestions that Israel could have been involved in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Last year, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, filed a defamation lawsuit against Owens after she suggested that France's first lady was born a man.

READ MORE: Candace Owens posts from 'unbelievably beautiful' Moscow (PHOTOS)

Catch the full interview with Owens when it airs exclusively on RT later on Thursday.