Why is Laura Loomer too controversial even for Trump? Meet the Magaist who criticised Taylor Swift, spread a 9/11 conspiracy, and said Kamala Harris would make the White House ‘smell like curry’

Oct 23 , 2024

Pro-white nationalist and Donald Trump supporter Laura Loomer criticised Taylor Swift, supported a 9/11 conspiracy, and said Kamala Harris would make the White House “smell like curry”. Photo: Getty Images

A self-styled investigative journalist whose anti-Muslim comments got her banned from social media and ride hailing apps, Loomer’s recent physical proximity to Trump had even Maga loyalists alarmed

The friendship between pro-white nationalist and self-described investigative journalist Laura Loomer, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is certainly no secret.

He backed her twice as she tried – and failed – to enter the political world and has openly commended her for her conservative views. But what has surprised, and even alarmed, certain observers is Loomer’s recent presence on the campaign trail beside Trump. Not only did she join the former US president for a 9/11 memorial event, she also flew on the Trump private plane to attend the presidential debate in Philadelphia.

Laura Loomer caught public attention by arriving in Philadelphia with Donald Trump for September’s presidential debate. Photo: AP

Her sudden visibility next to Trump even prompted comedian Bill Maher to comment on his HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher that she was in an “arranged relationship to influence the election”.

He also poked fun at Loomer’s previous comments around Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, who she claimed were in a bogus relationship to influence the 2024 elections. Loomer called the comments a “coordinated attack by mainstream media” and threatened to sue Maher.

Here’s what to know about Loomer and why her appearance has polarised the Maga camp.

Her attack on Kamala Harris

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris meeting for the first time at last month’s presidential debate; Laura Loomer went on X to say that if the Democratic presidential candidate won the election, she would make the White House “smell like curry”. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Loomer recently came under fire for posting a racist message on X in which she said that if Kamala Harris became president, the White House would “smell like curry” and “White House speeches would be facilitated via a call centre”.

Maga politician Marjorie Taylor Greene slammed the comments, calling them “appalling and extremely racist”. In an interview with Meet the Press, Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, who is married to a woman of Indian heritage, said, “I don’t like those comments.”

The “eating pets” claim

Famously, during the presidential debate in September, Trump claimed that illegal immigrants from Haiti were eating pets in a small Ohio town. The allegation has been widely debunked, and spurred a host of memes and funny videos on TikTok.