Sly retreat: Trump backs away from far-right activist Loomer's comments but welcomes her support

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday sought to distance himself from far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, whose presence on the campaign trail drew rebukes from both Trump's allies and the White House, but he did not disavow her.

In a statement released on Friday, Trump said he did not agree with Loomer's past statements, but he still welcomed her support. Trump made clear that she does not work for his campaign, even though Loomer traveled on his plane for much of the week.

FILE PHOTO: Laura Loomer arrives ahead of former U.S. President Donald Trump's debate with Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 10, 2024.REUTERS

Loomer, who commands a following on X of 1.2 million people, previously suggested the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were an inside job by sharing a video last year on X that promoted that conspiracy theory. She has since changed her position and told CNN in an interview published on Thursday that the attacks were carried out by "Islamic terrorists."

Earlier in the day, Trump was asked about Loomer during a press conference at his Southern California golf club.

“She is a strong person, she’s got strong opinions,” Trump said, calling her a ”free spirit.”

Later on Friday, at a rally in Las Vegas, Trump said he had heard that Democratic rival Kamala Harris had used a secret earpiece during their Tuesday debate in Philadelphia, a baseless conspiracy theory that Loomer has promoted on X.

Loomer showed up at Trump's debate Tuesday and then in New York on Wednesday to commemorate the Sept. 11 attacks.

Blowback

She sparked fierce blowback when she posted on X earlier this week that if Harris, who is of Indian descent, won the Nov. 5 election, "the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center."

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre denounced Loomer’s remarks as “racist poison” and criticized Trump for associating with her.

Several prominent Trump-supporting Republicans, including U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis, also denounced Loomer after her comment about Harris.

Tillis wrote on X on Friday that Loomer "is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans.”

One Trump campaign insider told US news outlet Semafor, said they were concerned about Trump's association with Loomer. “Regardless of any guardrails the Trump campaign has put on her, I don’t think it’s working,” the person said.

Afterward, she posted: "I'm simply a ride or die supporter of President Trump." In a separate post on Friday, she said the Republicans attacking her were jealous that they were not with Trump on his plane.

Before his rise in the Republican party as the presidential nominee in 2016, Trump gained the political spotlight for falsely questioning former president Barack Obama's birthplace.

Who is Laura Loomer and why is she a right-wing conspiracist?

Thirty-one year-old Loomer was born in Arizona and has styled herself an investigative journalist. She has worked as an activist and commentator for far-right activist group Project Veritas and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's Infowars.

• Laura Loomer, a Floridian, has twice unsuccessfully run for Congress. One of these failed bids represented Trump's home in Mar-a-Lago.
• Loomer's then-Twitter account was banned for describing Minnesota Rep.-elect Ilhan Omar, a Democrat, as "anti-Jewish" and "pro-Sharia law". The decision was reversed after Elon Musk bought the company, since renamed X.
• She protested her Twitter ban by handcuffing herself to its New York headquarters for two hours, livestreaming the event. She wore a yellow Jewish star, likening her treatment to the Holocaust.
• At a law conference in 2022, she said: “I consider myself to be a white advocate and I openly campaigned for the United States Congress as a white advocate.”
• During the Republican primaries, she heckled Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at public appearances with a bullhorn, whilst spreading rumours about his wife's cancer diagnosis.
• Two days before the debate Loomer said of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris - who is half Indian - “the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center.”