The presence of far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer alongside Donald Trump on the campaign trail in recent days has raised questions, including from some Republicans, about the influence the controversial former congressional candidate might have on him.
Loomer is known for her anti-Muslim rhetoric and spreading conspiracy theories, including that the September 11 attacks were an “inside job” carried out by the US government.
She joined Trump at an event commemorating the attacks on Wednesday, drawing attention and outrage in some US media outlets.
And on Tuesday, the 31-year-old traveled to Philadelphia on Trump’s plane to attend the presidential debate in the city.
Perhaps the most memorable moment of that debate came when Trump repeated a baseless claim that illegal immigrants from Haiti were eating household pets in a small Ohio town. “They’re eating the pets of the people who live there,” he said.
City officials later told BBC Verify that there are “no credible reports” of this actually happening.
Trump said he was repeating statements he had heard on television, but the theory was aired by Loomer just a day before the debate. On Monday, the commentator and social media influencer repeated the claims to her 1.2 million X followers.
While the extent of Ms. Loomer’s access to Trump remains unclear, and his running mate JD Vance has also spread baseless theoriesLoomer’s post and her presence in Philadelphia led some Republicans to blame her for the former president making baseless claims on stage.
An anonymous source close to the Trump campaign told the American news agency Semafor that they were “100%” concerned about Ms. Loomer’s close relationship with Trump.
“Whatever protection the Trump campaign puts in place for her, I don’t think it’s going to be effective,” the source said.
Several senior Republican politicians have also publicly criticized Ms. Loomer and warned Trump against bringing her into his inner circle.
“Laura Loomer is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly spews disgusting garbage aimed at dividing the Republican Party,” North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“A DNC [Democratic National Committee] “The factory could not have done any better than what she is doing to hurt President Trump’s re-election chances,” Tillis added.
Speaking at a press conference in California on September 13, Trump said only that Loomer was “a supporter” and that he was unaware of her recent comments about Harris, or her comments about 9/11.
“I don’t control Laura. Laura has to say what she wants. She is a free person,” he added.
Ms Loomer did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the BBC.
But on Twitter/X, she said she was working “independently” to help Trump, whom she called “our nation’s last true hope.”
“With so many reporters calling me and obsessively asking me to speak to them today, the answer is no,” she wrote. “I am very busy with my writing and investigations and do not have time to entertain your conspiracy theories.”
Born in Arizona in 1993, the self-proclaimed investigative journalist has worked as an activist and commentator for organizations including Project Veritas and Alex Jones’ Infowars.
In 2020, she ran — with Trump’s backing — as the Republican candidate for the US House of Representatives in Florida, but lost to Democratic candidate Lois Frankel.
She tried again two years later, when she unsuccessfully ran to defeat Rep. Daniel Webster in the Republican primary in another Florida district.
ReutersShe is now known for her strong support for Trump and for peddling a range of conspiracy theories including claims that Kamala Harris is not black and that billionaire George Soros’ son sent cryptic messages calling for Trump’s assassination.
These posts led to her being banned from several platforms including Facebook, Instagram and, she says, even Uber and Lyft for making derogatory comments about Muslim drivers. She once described herself as a “proud Muslim.”
Ms Loomer regularly attends pro-Trump events and has previously been seen at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Earlier this year, she traveled on his plane to Iowa, where he cheered her on stage at an event. “You want her with you,” Trump said. The former president has also shared several videos of her on Truth Social.
And last year, The New York Times reported that Trump had expressed interest in hiring her for his campaign, only to relent after senior aides expressed concerns that she could harm his election efforts.
“Everyone who works for him thinks she’s a liability,” a Trump aide said of Loomer in a report on NBC News in January.
Another outspoken Trump supporter, Marjorie Taylor Greene, denounced Ms Loomer this week for her comments questioning Harris’s race and a post in which she said the White House “would smell of curry” if Harris – who is part Indian – was elected.
Greene said Ms Loomer’s comments were “horrible and extremely racist” and “do not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA” – prompting a flood of angry messages directed at her.
The discord in her relationship with Trump comes just a day after Ms. Loomer appeared at events with Trump commemorating September 11 in New York and Pennsylvania.
Asked by the Associated Press about her attendance, she said she did not work for the campaign and was “invited as a guest.”
