Politics
Trump makes half-hearted attempt to distance himself from Laura Loomer amid backlash
Donald Trump made a feeble attempt to fend off bipartisan outrage over his association this week with Laura Loomerthe far-right social media activist and failed congressional candidate. As he tried to distance himself somewhat from her controversial opinions, Trump said she is not connected to his campaign and that he disagrees with her “statements.”
“Laura Loomer doesn’t work for the Campaign. She’s a private citizen and longtime supporter,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Friday afternoon. “I disagree with the statements she made 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!”
Trump did not say specifically which of Loomer’s statements he disagreed with, but he has plenty to choose from. Loomer, 31, has a long history of making racist, offensive statements: She has called herself a “proud Islamophobic,” cheered the death of thousands of migrantssaid 9/11 was an “inside job,” spread conspiracy theories about mass shootings and, more recently, posted a racist attack against Vice President Kamala Harris.
Loomer accompanied Trump to Tuesday’s debate and then to Sept. 11 memorial services the next day, which sparked especially intense criticism, given her past comments about 9/11. Trump’s fraternizing with Loomer this week caused such a stir that even Republicans Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Sen. Lindsey Graham have publicly urged him to disavow her.
Trump’s allies have long regarded the far-right provocateur as a “liability,” according to NBC News. But the former president’s affinity for Loomer is not new. He endorsed her in 2020 during the first of two failed runs for Congress. He has called her a “terrific” person and talked glowingly of her support for him. And The New York Times reported last year that Trump wanted to hire Loomer for a role in his campaign.
Now, Loomer’s high-profile appearances alongside Trump this week suggest that cracks may be widening in his campaign, NBC News reportsas his aides and advisers struggle to keep him away from people who encourage his worst political instincts.
Amid the backlash to her proximity, Trump has tried to walk a line between defending his association with Loomer and distancing himself from her beliefs. He told reporters on Friday that he does not “control” her and described her as a “free spirit.” Yet when asked about her conspiracy theories, he has pleaded ignorance, saying“I don’t know that much about it.”
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking/trending news blogger for BLN Digital. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
Former state Rep. Amish Shah won the crowded Democratic primary for Arizona’s 1st District on Wednesday, defeating an establishment pick and other well-funded candidates for the battleground seat.
The district, which President Donald Trump carried by just three points in 2024, is one of Democrats’ top pickup opportunities this cycle — and the tight primary evolved into a test of party leaders, after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee backed former broadcast journalist Marlene Galán-Woods.
In the end, voters rejected Galán-Woods, the latest example of an establishment-backed candidate losing as Democrats continue to show frustration with leaders in Washington.
This year marks the second consecutive time Shah won the district’s Democratic primary: He won it in 2024, before losing to Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) by four points in the general election.
The seat became open when Schweikert, an eight-term Republican lawmaker, decided to take on another member of the Arizona House delegation, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), in the GOP primary for governor.
Shah will take on Jay Feely in the general election. The Trump-endorsed former NFL kicker who spent four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals bested former state Rep. Joseph Chaplik in the Republican primary on Tuesday.
The 1st District surrounds Phoenix in central Arizona, and encompasses wealthy Scottsdale and Paradise Valley as well as large swaths of land to the northeast of the city.
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