Laura Loomer’s proximity to Trump triggers backlash

The visible presence of right-wing extremist activist Laura Loomer at the side of former President Trump in recent days has raised questions about her influence and drawn considerable criticism from figures close to the Republican presidential candidate.

Loomer is an avowed Trump supporter known for spreading conspiracy theories and racist rhetoric. She flew on Trump’s plane to Philadelphia for the debate on Tuesday and was part of his entourage when he attended commemorations on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on Wednesday.

According to several sources, she has no official role in Trump’s election campaign.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a staunch Trump ally, engaged in a heated and personal social media argument with Loomer over X that began Wednesday night and continued into Thursday.

She also told reporters that it would be a mistake to rely on Loomer’s advice and that her rhetoric does not fit with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.

“This is such an important election. I don’t think she has the experience or the right mindset to advise,” Greene told reporters on Wednesday, adding that she had not been privy to Trump’s discussions with Loomer.

“I know her rhetoric and her tone doesn’t fit with the base, doesn’t fit with MAGA, doesn’t fit with most Republicans I know,” Greene continued. “And I really condemn that. I’m over it.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a strong Trump ally in the Senate, criticized Loomer on Thursday for her racist comments about Vice President Harris, in which she used gross stereotypes to attack Harris’s Native American heritage. Greene also criticized the comments.

Graham said the remarks were “disgusting” and noted that Loomer also made “disturbing” comments about Republicans.

“I think the president would do well to make sure this doesn’t become an even bigger story,” Graham told HuffPost.

Loomer was seen in Philadelphia on Tuesday disembarking from a plane with Trump’s staff and family members ahead of the debate between the Republican nominee and Harris, and she was in the Spin Room that evening.

Some conservatives took note that Loomer was on board the former president’s plane before the debate. During the debate, Trump repeated a debunked claim shared by Loomer and others that migrants were eating pets in an Ohio town.

Loomer was again spotted with Trump’s team when he visited a fire station in New York City to mark the anniversary of 9/11, and she posted a video of his visit to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed.

When asked about Loomer’s attendance at Wednesday’s events, a Trump campaign official said the day was “about none other than the souls who are no longer with us, their families and the heroes who bravely saved their fellow Americans on that fateful day.” Trump attended a memorial service in New York City that morning alongside President Biden and Harris.

Loomer appeared defiant on Thursday as she was the focus of several articles and news stories, saying she does not work for Trump and claiming she was targeted because of her work targeting politicians and media figures.

“I stand by everything I said. I will not delete tweets. I will not apologize for fighting for Donald Trump. I will not apologize for fighting for the truth and the American people,” Loomer posted on X.

“The American people deserve people who fight, not people who fear the media,” she continued. “I don’t care what they or any traitorous member of Congress has to say about me.”

This week was not the first time Trump has signaled he is open to Loomer’s presence in his orbit. He congratulated her after she won a Florida primary in 2020. Last year, Trump reportedly asked his advisers to give Loomer a role in his campaign for the White House. She ultimately did not participate in the campaign in an official capacity.

Loomer has previously referred to Islam as a “cancer.” She was banned from ride-sharing apps Uber and Lyft in 2017 after tweeting that she would “never[s] to support another Islamic immigrant driver.” She was banned from Twitter after a series of anti-Islam posts and was reinstated after Elon Musk bought the platform.

Democrats, including the White House, sharply criticized Loomer’s recent comments, arguing that Trump’s association with her should serve as a warning signal to the American people.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Thursday called Trump a “conspiracy theorist, racist arsonist and pathological liar.” He said Trump’s willingness to bring a conspiracy theorist like Loomer to a 9/11 event “should shock the conscience of every decent American.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called Loomer’s recent comments about Harris “repulsive” and “un-American.”

“No leader should ever work with someone who spreads this kind of ugliness. This racist poison … and who continues to fuel these kinds of dangerous and offensive conspiracy theories,” she said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video, visit The Hill.