Trump refers to far-right activist Laura Loomer as a ‘free spirit’
The former president’s comments follow Republicans' criticisms of his travel with Loomer, who referred to 9/11 as an “inside job.”
TroibNews 
Donald Trump referred to far-right activist Laura Loomer as a “free spirit” with strong opinions on Friday, following criticism from Republicans regarding her conspiracy theories and a recent bigoted post about Kamala Harris’ race.
This week, Loomer accompanied the former president, attending 9/11 memorial events in New York and beyond on Wednesday. She has acted as an informal adviser to Trump and previously stated that 9/11 was an “inside job.”
Sen. Thom Tillis criticized Loomer on Friday, labeling her as a “crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans” in a post on X. He added that a “DNC plant couldn't do a better job than she is doing to hurt President Trump's chances of winning re-election.”
“The history of statements by Ms. Loomer are beyond disturbing,” Sen. Lindsey Graham told The Washington Post on Thursday. “I hope this problem gets resolved. I think we should be talking about things that people are concerned about, and this issue, I think, doesn’t help the cause.”
During a press conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, on Friday, Trump claimed he was unaware of Loomer’s remarks. “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,” he remarked.
"Laura's a supporter. I don't control Laura, Laura has to say what she wants. She's a free spirit,” Trump stated.
Loomer has identified herself as “pro-white nationalism” and a “proud Islamophobe,” and she has faced bans from multiple social media platforms. Her history includes promoting far-right conspiracy theories and anti-immigrant sentiments, with her latest claim being that Haitian migrants are responsible for killing and consuming pets in Ohio. Trump reiterated these false assertions during the presidential debate in Springfield, Ohio, twice.
In a post on Truth Social later on Friday, Trump indicated his disapproval of Loomer's statements.
"Laura Loomer doesn’t work for the Campaign. She’s a private citizen and longtime supporter," he wrote.
On Sunday, Loomer drew criticism for comments regarding Harris’ Indian heritage, claiming on X that if Harris were to win the presidential election, the White House would “smell like curry” and that “White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center.” Her post has since been removed for violating X’s guidelines.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene condemned the post as “appalling and extremely racist” in an X post on Wednesday, asserting that it “does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA.”
In response, Loomer declared on social media Thursday, “I stand by everything I have said” and confirmed she would “not be deleting any tweets” or apologizing for “fighting for Donald Trump.”
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
This week, Loomer accompanied the former president, attending 9/11 memorial events in New York and beyond on Wednesday. She has acted as an informal adviser to Trump and previously stated that 9/11 was an “inside job.”
Sen. Thom Tillis criticized Loomer on Friday, labeling her as a “crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans” in a post on X. He added that a “DNC plant couldn't do a better job than she is doing to hurt President Trump's chances of winning re-election.”
“The history of statements by Ms. Loomer are beyond disturbing,” Sen. Lindsey Graham told The Washington Post on Thursday. “I hope this problem gets resolved. I think we should be talking about things that people are concerned about, and this issue, I think, doesn’t help the cause.”
During a press conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, on Friday, Trump claimed he was unaware of Loomer’s remarks. “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,” he remarked.
"Laura's a supporter. I don't control Laura, Laura has to say what she wants. She's a free spirit,” Trump stated.
Loomer has identified herself as “pro-white nationalism” and a “proud Islamophobe,” and she has faced bans from multiple social media platforms. Her history includes promoting far-right conspiracy theories and anti-immigrant sentiments, with her latest claim being that Haitian migrants are responsible for killing and consuming pets in Ohio. Trump reiterated these false assertions during the presidential debate in Springfield, Ohio, twice.
In a post on Truth Social later on Friday, Trump indicated his disapproval of Loomer's statements.
"Laura Loomer doesn’t work for the Campaign. She’s a private citizen and longtime supporter," he wrote.
On Sunday, Loomer drew criticism for comments regarding Harris’ Indian heritage, claiming on X that if Harris were to win the presidential election, the White House would “smell like curry” and that “White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center.” Her post has since been removed for violating X’s guidelines.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene condemned the post as “appalling and extremely racist” in an X post on Wednesday, asserting that it “does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA.”
In response, Loomer declared on social media Thursday, “I stand by everything I have said” and confirmed she would “not be deleting any tweets” or apologizing for “fighting for Donald Trump.”
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
