Donald Trump has defended his relationship with Laura Loomer, who has come under fire from some of his Republican allies for embracing conspiracy theories and making racist comments against Kamala Harris.
“Laura has been a supporter of mine. Like a lot of people are supporters, she’s been a supporter of mine. She says a lot of positive things about the campaign,” former President Trump said at a news conference in Southern California on Friday.
He was responding to a question from a reporter about concerns his colleagues had expressed in recent days about his close relationship with Loomer.
“I don’t control Laura. Laura — she’s a free spirit. Well, I don’t know. I mean, look, I can’t tell Laura what to do,” Trump said.
“He’s a strong person, he has strong views and I don’t know what he said but it’s not up to me,” he said.
Loomer was criticized for several posts on social media this week, including one in which she alluded to a conspiracy theory about the 9/11 attacks.
“After 23 years, there are still so many unanswered questions,” Loomer posted Friday. She also posted a video of Trump in 2001 in which he questioned whether airplanes could cause explosions like the ones that hit the Twin Towers on 9/11.
Loomer, who is often viewed as a right-wing conspiracy theorist, said in another post on Sunday that if Harris wins the presidential election on Nov. 5, “the White House will smell of curry and White House speeches will be conducted via a call center.”
Democrat Harris will take on Trump in the November election.
NBC News asked Trump if he had been briefed on Loomer’s conspiracy theories.
“I don’t know much about it. No, I don’t,” he said, adding, “I know she’s a big fan of the campaign, but I really don’t know.” Trump later sought to distance himself from Loomer’s statements, though he did not specify which ones.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said Loomer “does not work for the campaign. She is a private citizen and longtime supporter.” Trump also defended Loomer in that post, saying: “Like millions of my supporters, she is tired of watching radical left-wing Marxists and fascists violently attack and defame me.” Several Republicans condemned Loomer’s remarks.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis said Loomer is a “lunatic conspiracy theorist who regularly spews disgusting nonsense aimed at dividing Republicans.”
“Ms. Loomer’s history of statements is troubling,” Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham told The Washington Post on Thursday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
