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‘She’s a free spirit’: Donald Trump defends Laura Loomer as GOP unrest grows

Sep 13, 2024, 2:53pm EDT
politics
REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
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The News

Donald Trump, during a press conference on Friday, downplayed the significance of right-wing agitator Laura Loomer traveling with him on his private plane earlier this week, describing her to reporters as “a free spirit” who “speaks very positively of the campaign.”

“Laura’s a supporter, I don’t control Laura,” Trump said, before claiming that he had not seen her inflammatory and racist rhetoric. “Laura’s a supporter, I don’t know. She is a strong person, she’s got strong opinions, and I don’t know what she said, but that’s not up to me.”

The presence of Loomer, a two-time Congressional candidate, has drawn increased attention this week — she has a history of open support for white nationalism and vicious attacks against political opponents and their families. The Biden administration, along with a handful of prominent Republicans, condemned a recent Loomer post denigrating Harris’ Indian heritage in which she said she’d make the White House “smell like curry.”

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Loomer traveled with Trump to the ABC News debate on Tuesday night as well as to his 9/11 events the following day. She had previously promoted conspiracy theories about 9/11 on social media and did so again this week.

Trump, who added that “a lot of people” travel with him on his plane, also said that he’d “go take a look” at what Loomer said and would “put out a statement later on.” When pressed on what he feels she brings to the campaign, Trump said Loomer “brings a spirit to us that a lot of people have” before pivoting back to focus on the state of California, where he was hosting the press conference.

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Trump’s comments about Loomer come as some of his allies have grown concerned about the social-media firestarters’ coziness with the former president — particularly after Trump repeated at his debate a viral unfounded claim about Haitian migrants eating pets in an Ohio town.

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One person close to the Trump campaign told Semafor this week that they were “100%” concerned after seeing her traveling with him. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has feuded with Loomer before, also denounced her “curry” comments. Greene called the post, which has since been removed for violating X’s rules, “appalling and extremely racist,” and later said she’d called Trump about the matter.

Greene’s concerns have spread to others in the party as well, who worry Loomer’s behavior — both her outrageous rhetoric and her attacks on fellow Republicans — are undermining the campaign. She has responded to some of her critics on the right on social media this week, including with posts referencing their personal lives.

“Laura Loomer is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans,” Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina posted 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.”

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Notable

  • Huffpost talked to Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who has also condemned Loomer this week. “I think that the president would serve himself well to make sure this doesn’t become a bigger story,” he said.
  • The New York Times reported last year that Trump wanted to hire Loomer for his campaign, but was dissuaded after an immediate backlash from Republican allies.
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