Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sought to distance himself from far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer during a press conference on Friday, following criticism from both his allies and the White House. Although Trump expressed disapproval of Loomer’s past statements, he stopped short of outright disavowing her.
In a statement released yesterday, Trump acknowledged that he disagrees with Loomer’s previous remarks but welcomed her support. He emphasized that Loomer does not work for his campaign, despite her presence on his plane for much of the week.
Loomer, who has a following of 1.2 million on X (formerly Twitter), has faced backlash for suggesting that the September 11, 2001 attacks were an inside job. She has since revised her position, now attributing the attacks to “Islamic terrorists” in an interview with CNN published Thursday.
During a press conference at his Southern California golf club, Trump described Loomer as a “strong person” with “strong opinions,” referring to her as a “free spirit.” However, Loomer’s recent activities have drawn further controversy. At a rally in Las Vegas, Trump echoed a baseless conspiracy theory that his Democratic rival Kamala Harris used a secret earpiece during their recent debate—an allegation previously promoted by Loomer on X.
Loomer appeared at Trump’s debate on Tuesday and later traveled to New York to mark the September 11 attacks. She faced severe criticism for a post on X suggesting that if Harris, who is of Indian descent, were elected, the White House would “smell like curry” and that speeches would be facilitated through a call center. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre condemned Loomer’s remarks as “racist poison” and criticized Trump for his association with her.
Several prominent Trump-supporting Republicans, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and Senators Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis, also condemned Loomer’s comments. Tillis labeled Loomer a “crazy conspiracy theorist” who spreads divisive rhetoric.
Meanwhile, Loomer has continued to support Trump publicly, using her social media platform to promote his remarks and defend her position. She described herself as a “ride or die supporter” of the former president and suggested that Republicans criticizing her were envious of her access to Trump.
Loomer, a Florida resident who has run unsuccessfully for Congress twice, has a history of anti-Muslim statements. Her Twitter account was banned for these views but was reinstated after Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform.
In other news, Pope Francis, on his return from a tour of the Asia-Pacific, criticized both Trump and Harris, accusing them of being “against life” due to their respective stances on immigration and abortion. White House spokesperson Jean-Pierre noted that the Pope’s comments reflect his personal views, and President Joe Biden, also a Catholic, had not been specifically briefed on the remarks.
