Laura Loomer, a far-right fringe activist with a history of inflammatory rhetoric and radical conspiracy theories, has been in close quarters with former President Donald Trump on the campaign trail this week.
On Tuesday, Loomer was seen getting off Trump’s plane in Philadelphia before the presidential debate. The next day, he accompanied Trump to 9/11 memorial ceremonies in New York and Shanksville, Pa.
While Trump campaign aides have tried to keep Loomer at arm’s length in the past, his appearances with Loomer this week have upset his Republican allies, who question Loomer’s influence on the GOP presidential nominee, who is in a tight race with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Laura has been a supporter of mine, just like a lot of people are supporters,” Trump said Friday when asked about Loomer at a news conference. “She’s very positive about the campaign. I’m not sure why you asked this question, but Laura is a supporter. I don’t control Laura. Laura has to say what she wants. She’s a free spirit.”
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Who is Laura Loomer?
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Loomer’s surprising 9/11 memorial visit
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Republican allies — including Marjorie Taylor Greene — are warning Trump to stay away from Loomer
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What Loomer’s presence means for the Trump campaign
Who is Laura Loomer?
The 31-year-old provocateur is a self-described investigative journalist and social media influencer with 1.2 million followers on X. She has previously been seen at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and is a frequent contributor to his campaign. events to support him. Trump has shared several of his videos on Truth Social.
Loomer has worked as an activist and commentator for Project Veritas, a conservative group known for its secret sting videos and Alex Jones’ Infowars.
Loomer has spewed anti-Muslim rhetoric, describing himself as a “proud Islamophobe” and has promoted white nationalism. He has targeted Harris with racist and sexist attacks.
He is also known for spreading false conspiracy theories, including recent unsubstantiated claims that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are eating residents’ pets, an unsubstantiated allegation Trump raised during the Sept. 10 presidential debate.
Loomer is also a two-time unsuccessful Republican congressional candidate in Florida, having lost races in 2020 and 2022.
Loomer’s surprising 9/11 memorial visit
One of Loomer’s false conspiracy theories published last year claimed that the 9/11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people in New York City, were an “inside job” by the US government.
That’s why Trump drew a backlash from politicians when he brought him as his guest at the 9/11 ceremonies on Wednesday. Loomer posted pictures of Ground Zero and shared a video of Trump meeting with Firefighters in Lower Manhattan.
He also accompanied the former president to Shanksville, Pa., where one of the hijacked planes crashed 23 years ago after passengers and crew fought off the hijackers. Loomer posted X on Wednesday afternoon: “DON’T FORGET!”
Loomer told The Associated Press that he did not work for the Trump campaign and did not respond to a question about his past 9/11 comments.
But just two days after attending the 9/11 ceremonies, Loomer continued to push the false conspiracy theory. On Friday, he wrote to X: “The American people deserve to know the whole truth. Not just what the lying government chose to tell us.”
Republican allies — including Marjorie Taylor Greene — are warning Trump to stay away from Loomer
In April 2023, the New York Times reported that Trump wanted to add Loomer to his 2024 presidential campaign. A backlash ensued, and the former president canceled plans to hire him at the time.
A year and a half later, concerns about Loomer’s closeness to Trump have resurfaced after he was seen in his orbit twice in the past week, particularly among some of his GOP allies, who see Loomer trailing Trump’s campaign by less than two. month until election day.
“The history of Ms. Loomer’s statements is beyond troubling,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, told the Washington Post on Thursday. “I hope this issue is resolved. I think we should be talking about the things that people are concerned about, and I don’t think this thing is going to help that.”
It’s gotten to the point where even Georgia far-right Marjorie Taylor Greene, a staunch Trump ally known for her own incendiary comments, renewed her longtime beef with Loomer this week. Greene blasted him for an “extremely racist” post that mocked Harris’ Indian heritage.
Greene told CNN that he advised Trump to distance himself from Loomer, saying, “This is such an important election. I don’t think he has the experience or the right mentality to advise on a very important presidential election.
What Loomer’s presence means for the Trump campaign
With Loomer’s return to Trump’s orbit this week, NBC News notes that it could be a sign of his distrust of campaign advisers who previously tried to shield him from his influence in 2023.
“The people who have the power to stop it are holding on to their jobs,” a former Trump 2020 campaign official told NBC. “So you’re going to take that fight with him?”
The Republican senator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was asked by NBC whether Trump aides allowed Loomer out of fear of losing his job: “There’s a lot of that in almost every campaign, but definitely in this campaign,” he said.
