Laura Loomer—a far-right conspiracy theorist, a “proud” anti-Muslim bigot, and a close associate of former and possibly future President Donald Trump—has caused a days-long meltdown among the MAGA elite and powerful GOP allies who fear she is too much of a liability. But in remarks at a news conference in California on Friday, Trump indicated he had no problem with Loomer’s repeated racist rhetoric about immigrants and his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I don’t control Laura,” he said. “She’s a free spirit.”
Loomer accompanied Trump to Philadelphia ahead of his critically acclaimed performance against Harris on Tuesday, and to 9/11 memorial events the following day, despite her stated belief in conspiracy theories about the terrorist attack. Her inclusion in Trump’s entourage recently raised concerns from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), no stranger to extremist rhetoric and a former friend of Loomer’s. Greene on Wednesday condemned a tweet in which Loomer said the “White House will smell like curry” if Harris wins the election.
“This is appalling, deeply racist, and does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA,” Green wrote. (X, formerly known as Twitter, restricted Loomer’s post from being visible because of her hateful behavior.) Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.S.C.) called Loomer “toxic” and advised Trump to ensure her influence doesn’t become “a bigger story.” Sen. Thom Tillis (R.N.C.) tweeted Thursday that “the Democrat plant couldn’t do a better job of hurting President Trump’s chances of winning,” accusing Loomer of spreading “disgusting nonsense designed to divide Republicans.”
For her part, Loomer responded with a tweet saying that Graham is disloyal to Trump and is a closeted gay man, while attacking Greene, calling her an anti-Semite and mocking the circumstances of her divorce.
Others in Trump’s world are fed up with Loomer’s actions — and her closeness to the campaign — such as members of Congress who have called for her to be ousted. “Whose loyalist is he?” one Trump insider wrote angrily. Rolling Stone Earlier this week, the report noted that several far-right and Make America Great Again agents had been punished or temporarily exiled for behavior far less egregious than Loomer's.
But throughout the week, Trump appeared to continue to ignore calls from some of his most prominent political allies to drop her. Not only that, he was still sharing content from her website on his Truth Social account. And when asked about concerns in his party about Loomer’s influence at a news conference in Rancho Palos Verdes on Friday, Trump avoided taking responsibility for her comments.
“Well, I don’t know,” he said. “I mean, look, I can’t tell Laura what to do. Laura is a supporter. I have a lot of supporters. So I don’t know what exactly you’re referring to… Laura is a supporter. I don’t know. She’s a strong person. She has strong opinions, and I don’t know what she said, but that’s none of my business. She’s a supporter.”
Loomer had previously been overlooked for an official job with the Trump campaign, but if he wins in November, Loomer could receive an actual government job offer. In fact, her chances of landing the job are strong, based on private conversations Trump has had.
On multiple occasions this year and last, Trump has told key aides — including but not limited to Loomer herself — that he wants Loomer to serve in a second Trump administration, and perhaps even in the White House, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter, as well as written communications he reviewed. Rolling Stone.
Trump has typically not spelled out the exact role or level of seniority he has in mind, though a position on the communications staff has been floated.
Over the past few months, some Trump advisers who heard him mention Lomere as a potential hire were so upset or alarmed that they began texting others in the former president’s inner circle to tell them that Trump had not distanced himself from her and, worse, continued to speculate about her appointment after the election. These advisers also expressed hope that the campaign would not have to deal with the fallout from Lomere’s involvement.
Given the hostile tweets from Congress, and Loomer's inflammatory responses, it's clear they're dealing with it now.
