Who is Laura Loomer? Donald Trump’s controversial companion at the 9/11 memorial
A person seen in Trump’s entourage lately has been creating concern among Republicans and drew rebukes for accompanying him at the 9/11 memorial.
Donald Trump attended the 9/11 memorial in New York to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the heinous terrorist attack that killed nearly 3,000 people. What would have seemed like an opportunity to set partisan politics aside by joining President Joe Biden and his Democratic presidential opponent Kamala Harris was quickly overshadowed by a person in his entourage. Specifically, Laura Loomer.
She later went with Trump to Shanksville, Pennsylvania to attend more ceremonies commemorating 9/11. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said her presence was “shocking. and irresponsible. and offensive to the thousands of people who lost their lives on September 11.”
Loomer’s hanging around with Trump has also become a concern for Republicans thanks to her status as a far-right provocateur. “The history of statements by Ms. Loomer are beyond disturbing,” said Senator Lindsey Graham during an interview Thursday.
Who is Laura Loomer? Donald Trump’s controversial companion at the 9/11 memorial
Loomer is one of Trump’s staunchest supporters and a faithful devotee to the Make America Great Again movement and its takeover of the Republican. She is also a well-known for her history of incendiary rhetoric and peddling conspiracy theories, like one she posted on X last year along with a video that falsely claims that 9/11 was an inside job.
She has been banned from a number of online apps and social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Lyft, Uber, Venmo, PayPal, GoFundMe and Cash App for violating its rules against hate speech and posting misinformation. She had been removed from Twitter where she described herself as a ‘#ProudIslamophobe’ but her account was reinstated after Elon Musk bought the company.
She has also been forcefully removed from numerous events for harassing people or causing disruptions including in a courtroom and during a congressional hearing.
She ran for public office twice in Florida. Frist in 2020 she was the Republican candidate in 21st District, which is heavily Democratic, and lost to the incumbent Lois Frankel. Her second run Congress came in 2022, but she lost in the primaries to the incumbent Republican, Rep. Daniel Webster of the 11th District. In the latter she refused to concede her loss.