RANCHO PALOS VERDES, California, Sept 13 (Askume) – Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Friday sought to distance himself from right-wing conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, who spoke during the campaign, an appearance that was criticized by Trump allies and the White House.
Trump said in a statement released Friday that he disagreed with Loomer’s past comments but still welcomed her endorsement. Trump made clear she did not work for his campaign, even though Loomer was flying on his plane much of this week.
Loomer has 1.2 million followers on X, where she shared a video last year claiming the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were an internal conspiracy. She promoted this conspiracy theory. She later changed her stance and told CNN in an interview published Thursday that the attack was carried out by “Islamic terrorists.”
Earlier in the day, Trump was asked about Loomer during a news conference at a golf club in Southern California.
Trump described her as an “independent spirit” and that “she’s a strong person, she has strong ideas.”
At a rally in Las Vegas late Friday, Trump said he heard Democratic rival Kamala Harris using secret headphones during Tuesday’s debate in Philadelphia, prompting Loomer to tweet baseless conspiracy theories.
Loomer attended Trump’s debate on Tuesday and then attended the September 11 attacks in New York on Wednesday.
Earlier this week, he had made a post on Will which received severe criticism.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called Loomer’s comments “racist venom” and criticized Trump for being associated with her.
Several prominent Republicans who support Trump, including U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis, also condemned Loomer’s comments about Harris.
Tillis wrote on X on Friday that Loomer is “a deranged conspiracy theorist who regularly spews hateful nonsense designed to divide the Republican Party.”
During Trump’s press conference in California, Loomer was busy promoting his comments about Akers and making inflammatory remarks about immigrants who enter the United States illegally.
She later posted, “I am a supporter of President Trump. Either live or die.” She said in another post on Friday that Republicans attacking her were jealous that she did not fly with Trump.
Loomer, who is from Florida and has twice run unsuccessfully for Congress, has long expressed anti-Muslim sentiments. Her Twitter account was banned at the time because of her views, but that decision was reversed after Elon Musk acquired the company and renamed it X.
