Yahoo News Trump Wants to Hire ‘Free Spirit’ Laura Loomer. MAGA Allies Think She’s Nuts
Laura Loomer — the far-right conspiracy theorist, self-described “proud” anti-Muslim bigot, and close associate of former and perhaps future President Donald Trump — has triggered a multi-day meltdown among the MAGA elite and powerful GOP allies who worry that she’s an extreme liability. But in remarks at a California press conference on Friday, Trump signaled that he had no problem with Loomer’s frequently racist rhetoric about immigrants and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I don’t control Laura,” he said. “She’s a free spirit.”
Loomer accompanied Trump to Philadelphia ahead of his widely panned debate performance against Harris on Tuesday, and to 9/11 remembrance events the following day, in spite of her professed belief in conspiracy theories around the terrorist attack. Her inclusion in Trump’s entourage of late has even alarmed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), no stranger to extremist rhetoric and a former friend of Loomer’s. Greene on Wednesday condemned a tweet in which Loomer said that “the White House will smell like curry” if Harris wins the election.
“This is appalling and extremely racist,” Greene wrote. “It does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA.” (X, formerly Twitter, limited the visibility of Loomer’s post for hateful conduct.) Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has called Loomer “toxic” and advised Trump to ensure that her influence “doesn’t become a bigger story.” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) posted Thursday that a Democratic “plant couldn’t do a better job than she is doing to hurt President Trump’s chances of winning,” and accused Loomer of spreading “disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans.”
Loomer, for her part, fired back by tweeting that Graham is disloyal to Trump and a closeted gay man, while attacking Greene as antisemitic and mocking the circumstances of her divorce.
Others in Trumpworld are as fed up with Loomer’s antics — and proximity to the campaign — as the members of Congress calling for her exile. “This is who he’s loyal to??????” one source close to Trump angrily messaged Rolling Stone earlier this week, noting that various far-right and MAGA proxies have been punished or temporarily banished for behavior far less egregious than Loomer’s.
But throughout the week, it appeared that Trump was still ignoring calls from some of his most prominent political allies to ditch her. Not only that, he was still sharing content from her website on his Truth Social account. Asked about the concerns in his own party over Loomer’s influence at the press conference in Rancho Palos Verdes on Friday, Trump deflected responsibility for her comments.
“Well, I don’t know,” he said. “I mean, look, I can’t tell Laura what to do. Laura’s a supporter. I have a lot of supporters. So I don’t know what exactly you’re referring to … 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. She’s a supporter.”
Loomer was previously passed over for a formal job on Trump’s campaign, but if he wins in November, Loomer could receive an actual government job offer. In fact, her odds of employment are significant, judging by Trump’s private conversations.
On multiple occasions this year and last, Trump has mentioned to key associates — including but certainly not limited to Loomer herself — that he wants to have Loomer serve in a second Trump administration, possibly even in the White House, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter, as well as written communications reviewed by Rolling Stone.
Typically, Trump hasn’t clarified the precise role or level of seniority he has in mind, though a communications staff position has been floated.
Over the past several months, some of the Trump advisers who have heard him mention Loomer as a possible hire were so annoyed or panicked that they began texting others in the ex-president’s inner circle to inform them that Trump wasn’t distancing himself from her, and, worse than that, continued to speculate on her post-election appointment. These advisers also expressed their hope that the campaign would not have to deal with fallout from Loomer’s involvement.
Given the hostile tweets from Capitol Hill, and Loomer’s incendiary replies, they’re clearly dealing with it now.
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