Trump embrace of Loomer adds new divisive figure to entourage

After appearing with 9/11 conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, he seeks some distance from her as Republicans say she would hurt his campaign.

Donald Trump holds a press conference at his golf club ner Los Angeles at the weekend. Picture: AFP

Donald Trump’s weekend press conference at his oceanfront golf club near Los Angeles was meant to highlight public safety problems in California that he blamed in part on his election opponent, Vice-President Kamala Harris.

Instead, he spent much of the time fielding questions on his relationship with Laura Loomer, a right-wing conspiracy theorist who was part of his entourage this past week. “I know she’s a big fan of the campaign,” Mr Trump said, adding that with regard to some of her racist statements, “I don’t know what she said”.

Ms Loomer’s presence on Trump’s campaign plane, at the presidential debate and during 9/11 memorial services underscored the former president’s continued embrace of fringe figures whose loyalty and following he values – even if being associated with them brings potential political liabilities.

Donald Trump and Laura Loomer as seen in X post from her

“He values loyalty so intensely that the fact that these people honour him, in a way that he is most comfortable with, he’s never going to disavow them,” said Mia Bloom, a professor of communication at Georgia State University, who specialises in studying extremist groups.

“They represent a very small but vocal minority who have a significant presence, perhaps on social media, but don’t actually represent a lot of people.”

The Trump campaign has worked tirelessly to run a disciplined operation, free from the leaks, poor planning and staff drama of Mr Trump’s past campaigns but some of his allies worry that his embrace of individuals with controversial views and records could hurt his efforts to expand his support to more moderate voters come November 5.

“Laura Loomer is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans,” Republican senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina wrote on X. “A DNC plant couldn’t do a better job than she is doing to hurt president Trump’s chances of winning re-election. Enough.”

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and senator Lindsey Graham criticised Ms Loomer last week after she said the White House would “smell like curry” if Ms Harris, who is partly of Indian descent, was elected president.

Ms Greene called Ms Loomer a “racist.”

Ms Loomer retaliated, questioning the senator’s sexuality and comparing the congresswoman to a “hooker”. Ms Loomer said on X that her comment about Ms Harris was a “funny joke”.

Following his press conference on Friday, Mr Trump took to social media to seek some distance from her. “Laura Loomer doesn’t work for the Campaign. She’s a private citizen and longtime supporter,” he said. “I disagree with the statements she made but, like the many millions of people who support me, she is tired of watching the Radical Left Marxists and Fascists violently attack and smear me.”

In addition to Ms Loomer, Trump has done interviews with such controversial influencers as Logan Paul, a YouTube personality, and Adin Ross.

Mr Trump has embraced elements of the far right before. In 2022, using his Truth Social platform, the former president reposted an image of himself wearing a Q lapel pin overlaid with The Storm is Coming. It is a reference to the far-right American political conspiracy theory and political movement QAnon.

In recent years, Mr Trump has reposted several Q-related items to his feed. He has said he knows little about QAnon.

Mr Trump has also welcomed Robert F. Kennedy Jr into his campaign as an adviser. The onetime Democrat has turned against the party and ran on a third-party ticket this year before endorsing Mr Trump.

Mr Kennedy has said he “won’t take sides” on what happened on 9/11 and that it was “hard to tell what is a conspiracy theory and what isn’t” when it comes to the 2001 terrorist attacks. He has also questioned the effectiveness of vaccines.

Mr Trump’s running mate, senator JD Vance of Ohio, has spread claims that have been haunting the campaign in recent months.

At his debate with Ms Harris on Tuesday, Mr Trump was asked about an unfounded social-media story amplified by Senator Vance that Haitian migrants were travelling to such ­places as Springfield, Ohio, and eating people’s pets out of desperation.

Mr Trump doubled down on the claim, saying they were “eating the dogs … They’re eating the pets of the people that live there and this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”

The Wall Street Journal