Who is Laura Loomer? Republicans, WH warn Trump against closeness with conspiracy theorist who spreads ‘racist poison’

Loomer is well-known for her hate speech directed towards Muslims and for disseminating conspiracies, such as the notion that the US government orchestrated a “inside job” on the 9/11 attacks.

Loomer accompanied Trump for presidential debate

The 31-year-old accompanied Trump on Wednesday to a ceremony marking the attacks anniversary, causing some US media outlets to express displeasure over her presence.

She boarded Trump’s aircraft on Tuesday in order to travel to Philadelphia for the first presidential debate between the former President and Harris.

When CNN asked why she joined Trump for his Patriot Day travels in New York and to a debate stage, the former President’s campaign official refused to address her presence, stating that “the day wasn’t about anyone other than the souls who are no longer with us.”

“The day wasn’t about anyone other than the souls who are no longer with us, their families, and the heroes who courageously stepped up to save their fellow Americans on that fateful day,” the official said.

On Tuesday night, one of the crucial moment of the debate was Trump’s unfounded accusation that Haitian immigrants in Ohio have been stealing and eating pets. “They are eating the pets of the people that live there,” the former President said.

“They are eating the pets of the people that live there,” he added.

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After Trump was corrected by the ABC moderator about his dubious claim, the GOP leader said he was reiterating something he had heard on television. However, the baseless theory is said to be disseminated by Loomer before the debate. The social media influencer and fringe commentator reaffirmed the unfounded allegations to her 1.2 million followers on X on Monday.

Republicans raise concerns over Loomer’s link with Trump

Not just Loomer, even Trump’s VP candidate JD Vance disseminated the debunked conspiracy theory. Meanwhile, some Republicans have attributed the former president’s baseless assertion on stage to Loomer due to her X post and attendance in Philadelphia.

According to US news portal Semafor, an anonymous person close to the Trump campaign stated that they were “100%” concerned about Loomer’s closeness to the former president.

The insider was cited as adding, “Regardless of any guardrails the Trump campaign has put on her, I don’t think it’s working.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Senator Lindsey Graham warned Trump to stay away from “toxic” Loomer, and MTG said, “I have concerns abouts her rhetoric and hateful tone.”

However, a different source told the publication that Loomer was a “positive person to be around” and that she did not meddle with Trump’s debate preparations.

Republican consultant Dennis Lennox was quite scathing in his assessment of Trump’s debate performance and Loomer. “That’s what you get when you wing it, live in the Fox News-X bubble, and rely on Matt Gaetz, let alone Laura Loomer,” he told Semafor.

In a phone interview with CNN, Loomer said doesn’t understand the worries about her going to a 9/11 memorial with Trump. She claimed that people were delighted to see her and even said, “Thank you for coming.”

“I’ve never denied the fact that Islamic terrorists carried out the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In fact, the media calls me anti Muslim precisely for the reason that I spend so much time focusing on talking about the threats of Islamic terrorism in America.”

According to her, she accompanied the ex-president on the plane following an assassination attempt on him.

“He wanted me on the plane with him the day after he almost got assassinated. I was with him. I flew with him to the (Republican National Convention), so it could show that I’m a trustworthy person, I have his back,” Loomer said.

She previously declared X that she works for Trump “independently” and called him “truly our nation’s last hope.”

“To the many reporters who are calling me and obsessively asking me to talk to them today, the answer is no,” she wrote, mentioning that she is “very busy working” on her stories and investigations.

“Don’t have time to entertain your conspiracy theories,” she added.

Meanwhile, Trump received criticism from the White House on Thursday for his affiliation with Loomer.

She predicted that if Harris wins the election on November 5, “the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center.”

Responding to her remarks, the White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre stated on Thursday that “these types of comments are “repugnant.” “It is un-American to say these types of things, exactly the kind of hateful and divisive rhetoric that we should denounce.”

“No leader should ever associate with someone who spreads this kind of ugliness, this kind of racist poison,” Jean-Pierre remarked.

Who is Laura Loomer and what’s her connection with Trump?

Self-described investigative journalist Loomer, who was born in Arizona in 1993, holds vast experience as an activist and commentator for publications, including Infowars by Alex Jones and Project Veritas.

With Trump’s backing, she entered the 2020 Florida US House of Representatives race as a Republican, but she was defeated by Democrat Lois Frankel.

She made another unsuccessful attempt two years later to unseat Representative Daniel Webster in a Republican primary in another Florida district.

She is now well-known for her outspoken backing of Trump as well as her promotion of a large list of conspiracy theories, such as the ones claiming that Kamala Harris is not black and that the son of billionaire George Soros was calling for the assassination of Trump through cryptic messages.

She was banned from several social media sites, including Facebook and Instagram for making derogatory remarks about Muslim drivers. At one point, she identified herselfas a “proud Islamophobe”. Additionally, she was banned from Twitter, which remained in effect until billionaire Elon Musk acquired the website—now known as X—and restored her account.

Loomer has been spotted at Trump’s Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, on numerous occasions. She boarded his plane to travel to Iowa, where he acknowledged her on stage at an event earlier this year. Trump remarked, “You want her on your side.” In addition, the former president posted a number of her videoson Truth Social.

Moreover, the New York Times revealed last year that Trump had indicated interest in employing her for his campaign. How ever, he backed down after senior advisors voiced worries that she would jeopardize his chances of winning the presidency.