Laura Loomer: What To Know About The Far-Right Activist & Her Rumored Relationship With Donald Trump

In September 2024, a fresh face joined the ranks of former President Donald Trump's inner circle: Laura Loomer. The far-right activist with an unusual take on major issues, was spotted deplaning with Trump in the hours preceding the first presidential debate. Loomer's presence on the jet was alarming for some, as many of her opinions are considered far too radical for most mainstream Republicans.

Since graduating from Barry University in 2015  with a degree in broadcast journalism, Loomer has embraced conspiracy theories — including ones about 9/11 and past school shootings– and has gone on to characterize Islam as a "cancer."

Despite the controversial nature of Loomer's stances, she has been spotted with Trump time and time again. Although many Republicans have called on the former president to distance himself from her, he has yet to sever ties. Loomer has apparently been accepted into Trump's inner circle — at least temporarily. 

It's no secret that Donald Trump likes to hold court at his country clubs. Over the years, he has invited some of his favorite people to join him at his Mar-A-Lago Club in Florida, which he has been known to run just like Buckingham Palace. Guests from Martha Stewart to Ben Carson have both been spotted on the premises in the past. During his presidency, Trump even hosted Japan's then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to join him for dinner at his Palm Beach golf club.

Laura Loomer has also been known to attend events at Trump brand clubs. Just after the former president pleaded "not guilty" of falsifying business records in a New York courtroom, he gave a speech at Mar-a-Lago. In his statement, he claimed his innocence. Loomer was in the audience rooting him on. (He would be found guilty of all charges months later).

President Trump invited me to sit with him inside his private box at #Bedminster to watch the #LivGolf tournament.

Best President ever! #Trump2024 pic.twitter.com/x5IliYLJax

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) August 13, 2023

This was not the only time that Loomer made an appearance at one of Trump's golf clubs. On August 13, 2023, she took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a photo of herself sitting beside the presidential candidate at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster. In the caption, she explained she was invited to sit with him in his private box. In a separate X post, she added, "He wanted me to sit next to him all day, and it was the best day ever."

On September 11, 2024, Laura Loomer accompanied Donald Trump to a memorial marking the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The presidential candidate's choice to invite Loomer to the event was viewed as strange, as the far-right activist had previously spread conspiracy theories regarding the historic attacks.

In June 2023, Loomer shared a post to X that included a video titled "9/11 was an inside job." Although Loomer has since denied ever making this statement, screenshots of her old post continue to circulate the Internet. Unfortunately, many of the people most harmed by her rhetoric are the surviving victims of the attack.

John Feal, a first responder on 9/11 who later founded the Fealgood Foundation, a non-profit that provides support to first responders who have been injured on the job, talked to CNN about Loomer. "Two things happened after a historic event like 9/11: advocacy and conspiracy theories," he said. "I chose the advocacy, and Laura Loomer is hurting inside. She needs help. She's miserable. She's sad. And, she wants to share that with as many people as she can," he said. In his view, Loomer is spreading pain by harming those affected by the attacks.

First responders are not the only ones who have been affected by Laura Loomer's comments. Donald Trump's 2024 vice presidential running mate, J.D. Vance, has also been impacted by some of Loomer's inappropriate words.

On September 8, 2024, Loomer posted a photograph of Vice President Kamala Harris and her family to X. In the caption, Loomer attacked Harris' Indian heritage, writing, "If [Kamala Harris] wins, the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center and the American people will only be able to convey their feedback through a customer satisfaction survey at the end of the call that nobody will understand."

These comments were later denounced by Vance, whose wife, Usha Vance, is the descendant of Indian immigrants. In an interview with NBC News' "Meet the Press," Vance started off addressing the comments by saying, "I make a mean chicken curry. I don't think that it's insulting for anybody to talk about their dietary preferences or what they want to do in the White House." However, he went on to add, "Do I agree with what Laura Loomer said about Kamala Harris? No, I don't." When pushed harder on whether or not he was offended by Loomer's words, Vance replied, "I don't like those comments." He went on to say that Loomer was best ignored, stating, "I also don't look at the Internet for every single thing to get offended by." 

Vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance was not the only major Republican figure to denounce Laura Loomer's comments about Vice President Kamala Harris' ethnicity. Controversial Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene also came out in opposition to what she viewed as blatant racism. In a post shared to X, Greene called for Loomer to delete her offensive tweet. "This is appalling and extremely racist. It does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA," the congresswoman wrote. She went on to claim, "This does not represent President Trump. This type of behavior should not be tolerated ever."

Greene's tweet garnered quite a bit of support from the remainder of the Republican party. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina applauded the congresswoman's words — despite their history of political disagreements. Speaking to HuffPost, Graham said, "Marjorie Taylor Greene is right. I don't say that a lot. I think what [Loomer] said about Kamala Harris and the White House is abhorrent."

Graham then went on to express disagreement with some of Loomer's other previous comments. "I mean, you know, some of the things she's said about Republicans and others is disturbing," he added. The senator specifically referenced the time that Loomer allegedly told Claudia Conway, the Democrat-affiliated daughter of Republican political consultant Kellyanne Conway, to take her own life. "The history of this person is just really toxic," he said of Loomer.

Although Laura Loomer may seem like a die-hard Republican, her affiliation is not necessarily to a political party but rather to Donald Trump himself. This was evident in January 2024 when Loomer harassed then-aspiring Republican presidential nominee Ron DeSantis. While DeSantis was still on the campaign trail in Iowa, Loomer accosted him in his hotel with a camera and a series of pointed questions. Per a video of the incident, which Loomer shared on X, the Trump supporter questioned DeSantis: "Hey governor! When are you going to drop out?" She then proceeded to ask, "Are you going to be endorsing President Trump when you drop out the night of the Iowa caucus?"

Interestingly, this episode may have been one of the factors that strengthened Loomer's ties to Trump. As reported by NBC News, the former president shared Loomer's video on his Truth Social account. And, according to another post that Loomer shared on X, the former president may have appreciated the way that the far-right activist tried to discredit his political rival. "[Trump] walked over to me to take a picture with me, telling me how thankful he was for all of my work exposing [Ron DeSantis]," Loomer claimed. People close to Trump have verified this claim. As one anonymous insider told NBC News, "He likes what she did with DeSantis."

Despite the fact that Donald Trump has appreciated much of Laura Loomer's support, not all Republicans feel the same way. Many top politicians worry about what it would mean for their political party to associate with Loomer — especially considering some of the more controversial things she has said and done. Some have even expressed concern that voters would find her opinions alienating. After all, she has accused Ron DeSantis of embellishing the details surrounding his wife's cancer diagnosis — posting on X: "Personally, I think Jill's health has been over exaggerated in a desperate effort to get votes for DeSantis."

Naturally, these sorts of comments have been off-putting to many. Thom Tillis, a Republican senator from North Carolina, has made his feelings on Loomer extremely clear. In his own post on X, Tillis wrote, "Laura Loomer is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans. A DNC plant couldn't do a better job than she is doing to hurt President Trump's chances of winning re-election. Enough." Senator Lindsey Graham also told the HuffPost that he hopes Trump will distance himself from Loomer. "I think that the president would serve himself well to make sure this doesn't become a bigger story," he said.

Nevertheless, Trump has largely maintained his connection to Loomer. As one aide anonymously told NBC News, "Everyone who works for him thinks she's a liability."

Even as many Republicans have reacted negatively to Laura Loomer's far-right activism, Donald Trump has gone so far as to praise her opinionated personality. In a video Loomer shared to X, Trump only had positive things to say about his supporter. "Well, it's great to have you [here at the golf club]," he told Loomer. "And you've been — you're really very special. You work hard." Trump went on to say, "You are a very opinionated lady. I have to tell you that. And, in my opinion, I like that. And, I appreciate all of your support." 

Loomer 🤝Trump

Best President Ever. I love him so much. pic.twitter.com/bHEGP5B3xv

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) August 13, 2023

Throughout the video, Loomer appeared to bask in Trump's praise. At one point, she called him, "the greatest president ever." Later on, she awkwardly blurted out "I love you." As if there was any doubt as to how she felt about the presidential candidate, she captioned her post, "Best president ever. I love him so much."

Donald Trump may be facing mounting pressure to distance himself from Laura Loomer, but he has still embraced her as a supporter. In a  September 2024 press conference held in California, Trump didn't exactly attempt to separate himself her. "Laura has been a supporter of mine," he told journalists. "Just like a lot of people are supporters, and she's been a supporter of mine. She speaks very positively of the campaign." When pressed to respond to some of her more controversial statements, Trump simply deflected. "I don't know what she said, but that's not up to me," he said. He explained that he has no power over her more controversial statements, adding, "She is a strong person, she's got strong opinions."

The news conference was not the first time that Trump discussed Loomer's support. Per a report by the Wall Street Journal, the former president called her out at one of his political rallies in Iowa. After asking her to stand before a roaring crowd, Trump announced, "You want to try and have her on your side."

Following his press conference in California, however, Trump issued a statement via his Truth Social account. In it, he said that Loomer is not a part of his campaign and reiterated that she is one of his supporters. Although he went on to say that he does indeed "disagree with the statements she made," he also attempted to clarify her position: "But, like the many millions of people who support me, she is tired of watching the Radical Left Marxists and Fascists violently attack and smear me, even to the point of doing anything to stop their Political Opponent, ME!" (via MSNBC).

If Donald Trump has said nice things about Laura Loomer, the same is certainly true in reverse. The far-right activist has been more than complimentary to the former president, declaring herself fully loyal to his campaign. In one video — which Trump later promoted on his Truth Social account — Loomer described a situation in which a former partner of hers criticized her dedication to the MAGA campaign. Apparently, she told her romantic interest that they would always take a back seat to Trump.

"If you think that you're more important than President Trump, then you have some kind of, like, delusional personality disorder," Loomer fumed (via NBC News). "I have to say that was the end of that relationship. President Trump's my number-one priority right now."

Loomer's intense interest in Trump's campaign might be one of the reasons why the former president has spent so much time with her. According to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, Trump is drawn to those who are willing to fight for his interests. As Haberman told the HuffPost, "Donald Trump, as some of the people have known him the longest, likes people who will do anything for him, and that is something Laura Loomer will do."

Although Laura Loomer does not work for Donald Trump's campaign in any official capacity, she might just be gunning for a spot in his administration if he is elected. According to former Trump aide Sarah Matthews, Loomer could be a serious candidate for an important role — perhaps even as a potential press secretary. Speaking on MSNBC's "Inside with Jen Psaki," Matthews speculated, "I would imagine maybe she wants to be White House press secretary ... and that is what is most concerning to me" (via The Hill).

Matthews went on to say that she is not a huge fan of Loomer. If anything, she is concerned about how Loomer's most extreme views could impact White House policies. "This is the type of person who could potentially have the ear of the leader of the free world, someone who traffics in conspiracy theories, says racist, awful, vile things," the former Trump aide explained. All in all, Matthews says that she hopes Loomer stays far away from Trump's campaign. 

When a woman gains power, it is not uncommon to hear critics claim that she somehow exploited her own body to "get to the top." Laura Loomer herself once took to X to share a post insinuating that Vice President Kamala Harris had used her body to achieve success. 

However, Loomer asked for grace when American comedian Bill Maher began spreading rumors about the nature of her relationship with Donald Trump. On an episode of "Real Time with Bill Maher," the comedian said of Loomer, "She's very close to Trump. She's 31. Looks like his type."

On an episode of her podcast, "Loomer Unleashed," the far-right activist denied Maher's claims of a potential romantic affair. She even invoked left-wing discourse in her defense, stating that liberals would normally denounce cheating rumors as sexist. "The media would be up in arms if the Republican media was doing this to a left-wing journalist," she said. "'Oh my god, they're misogynist, they're bullying a woman, they're trying to Monica Lewinsky her, they're trying to discredit the fact that she's a working woman.'" This, however, did not prevent Loomer, in the very next breath, from doubling down on her previous claims about Harris. 

Although Laura Loomer has emphatically denied having an affair with Donald Trump, it may be true that they have worked together in a professional context. Some Trump insiders have even claimed that the former president is turning to Loomer in search of advice, which would explain why he invited her to accompany him on his private jet leading up to the debate.

According to at least one anonymous aide, Loomer was instrumental in encouraging Trump to question Vice President Kamala Harris' racial and ethnic background while speaking at the National Association of Black Journalists convention. As the aide in question told CNN, "He wasn't the one who came up with that talking point." When asked who did, the person indicated that Loomer had been the one to encourage Trump to pursue that line of discourse.

Coincidentally, one only needs look to Loomer's account on X to see these views espoused. In one post, Loomer claimed to have found a copy of Harris' birth certificate. "Nowhere on her birth certificate does it say that she is BLACK OR AFRICAN," she wrote. Loomer then implied that Harris' father is white — despite plenty of evidence to the contrary. Kamala Harris' parents are both known to be immigrants and people of color. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, is of Indian heritage, while her father, Donald Harris, is of Jamaican heritage.