Donald Trump has associated with a lot of unsavory people in the past—see the numerous members of his inner circle who are convicted felons, the white nationalist he dined with at Mar-a-Lago, Rudy Giuliani, etc.—but his current relationship with right-wing extremist Laura Loomer is disturbing to even some of the most objectionable members of the MAGA-verse, who want him to cut ties with the woman ASAP.
If you’re not familiar with Loomer’s work, here’s a quick primer. The 31-year-old far-right activist has, among other things:
Claimed that the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers was an “inside job”Suggested a 2018 school shooting was stagedHas called herself a “proud Islamophobe” and “pro-white nationalism”Has called Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Fani Willis “meritless DEI Shaniquas”Spread a rumor that Joe Biden was “dying”Declared that “if you’re a Democrat and you’re voting as a Jew or a Democrat, then you kind of deserve what’s coming your way…. These are like the kapo Jews of the Holocaust…who helped shovel Jews inside the gas chambers and shovel Jews inside the cable cars. Okay? That’s what these people are. That’s basically what modern Democrat Jews are.”Called immigrants “invaders,” including those who have come to this country legallyTweeted in 2017 that “someone needs to create a non Islamic form of Uber or Lyft because I never want to support another Islamic immigrant driver”Suggested Casey DeSantis didn’t really have breast cancerShowed up at a polling station on the day of the 2016 election wearing a burka and asked for a ballot under the name Huma Abedin, the then aide to Hillary ClintonAllegedly came up with Trump’s claim that Harris only recently became BlackSaid on social media that if Harris wins the election, “the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center”Despite all of the above, Loomer was aboard Trump’s private plane en route to the debate with Harris earlier this week, and days later was part of his entourage when the ex-president commemorated the 9/11 attacks in Lower Manhattan. Asked about Loomer’s presence at the latter, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign avoided the question, telling CNN, “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.” Speaking to the outlet, Loomer declared, “I don’t understand what the issue is about me going to a 9/11 memorial. In fact, the people who greeted President Trump at the memorial were very happy to see me, and they said, ‘Thank you for coming.’” She also claimed that she’s “never denied the fact that Islamic terrorists carried out the 9/11 terrorist attacks.”
Anyway, it’s not at all surprising that Trump’s association with Loomer is deeply objectionable to reasonable people who haven’t made a career of making wildly outrageous statements—but it’s also apparently a bridge too far for someone who has. After Loomer wrote on X that a Harris win would lead to the White House smelling “like curry” and White House speeches being “facilitated via a call center,” Greene responded on X: “This is appalling and extremely racist.”
Of the post, Loomer told CNN, “It’s interesting how the media wants to, once again, falsely accuse me of being a racist. This is a woman who is on video cooking Indian food with Indian celebrities talking about how she likes cooking with curry.”
On Thursday, longtime Trump backer Lindsey Graham called Loomer “toxic” and told HuffPost, “I don’t know how this all happened, but no, I don’t think it’s helpful. I don’t think it’s helpful at all.”
Unfortunately, it’s not clear that Trump has any intention to cut ties with Loomer. Last year, he reportedly suggested she be hired for an official role on the campaign, and while CNN reports that advisers and allies shot down the idea, she has clearly remained in his orbit. At a press conference on Friday, the ex-president told reporters, “Laura has been a supporter of mine. Just like a lot of people are supporters, and she’s been a supporter of mine. She speaks very positively of the campaign…I don’t control Laura. Laura—she’s a, she’s a free spirit. Well, I don’t know. I mean, look, I can’t tell Laura what to do.”
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