Donald Trump’s disastrous performance in Tuesday night’s presidential debate has Republican leaders sounding the alarm about the state of the former president’s campaign. Now, Trump’s most prominent supporters and some opponents are pointing the finger of blame at an unexpected figure. MAGA clown and social media troll Laura Loomer.
The far-right conservative activist has become an increasingly visible presence on the campaign trail over the past month. Recent photos have shown Loomer standing next to Trump on multiple occasions, close enough to his ear that it puts her closer to Trump’s ear than Shinsengumi chairman Corey Lewandowski. Loomer also played a key role in preparing for Trump’s disastrous debates. Buzzworthy moments When President Trump falsely claimed Haitian immigrants were eating Ohioans’ pets.
Trump values Loomer so much that he invited her to join him at this week’s Sept. 11 memorial in New York City. The loud claims of 9/11 “truthers” Trump, who has falsely claimed the attack was an inside job, has seen battleground state polls over the past month push him far from being pushed to the political center, to the fringes of the MAGA movement, making it tough for even his friends on the Republican ticket to stomach.
That includes Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, an equally problematic former friend of Loomer’s who proudly supported Loomer’s unwinnable bid for Congress in 2022. In a post on X on Thursday, Rep. Greene called Loomer “extremely racist” in response to a stereotype-filled post Loomer made about Vice President Kamala Harris.
“This is horrible and extremely racist,” Greene wrote about Loomer’s vile rant that the White House would “smell like curry” if Harris was elected president, as well as other racist rhetoric against people of Indian descent. “This does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA people. This does not represent President Trump. Behavior like this should never be tolerated.”
in Another post on XGreene acknowledged her longtime friendship with Loomer and her support for her candidacy, but in a sign of how quickly that friendship fell apart, she also said, “Outside of this platform bubble, most people don’t know who Senator Loomer is.” [Loomer] “That’s just not true,” she said, repeating her claim that Loomer is an outright racist.
Greene’s sudden concern about racism within the Republican Party will come as a surprise to those who remember her. Racist rant against Rep. Jamaal Bowman Greene, who will be governor of New York in 2023, has deployed a string of “offensive” stereotypes about black men because her newfound racial tolerance has nothing to do with actually caring about the devastating damage of racism. Instead, she is caught up in a power struggle with Loomer over who gets to be President Trump’s top aide, and so far, she is losing.
Loomer also seems to understand what’s at stake: In a lengthy response to Greene, she blasted her as “extremely jealous and vengeful for not succeeding in turning Donald Trump against me.”
Not to be outdone, Loomer also directed Greene’s exact accusation of racism at her.
“Speaking of racism,” Loomer wrote, “a former member of your staff told me you have a favorite word that starts with N.” She also called on Democrats and Republicans to unite. Beat Green in NovemberDivisions within the Republican Party are deepening at a time when party leaders are trying to project unity.
Ms. Loomer’s rise to prominence in Trump world comes as the Republican Party desperately tries to pivot away from Mr. Trump’s shoddy debate performances and his strange obsession with online conspiracy theories spread by Ms. Loomer and other far-right influencers.
As Vox’s Eric Levitz argues, Trump lost Tuesday’s debate because his arguments were incomprehensible to viewers who haven’t spent their lives doing so. Submit a meme to Truth SocialNow Loomer is urging Trump to focus more on his most ardent online fans, while Republican leaders want the former president to focus on independents in battleground states he can persuade.
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a staunch supporter of President Trump, joined the concern on Thursday, saying: Huffington Post The reporters argued that Loomer was “toxic” and that Trump should distance himself from her.
“I think the president has it in his interest to make sure this doesn’t become a big talking point,” Graham warned.
Unsurprisingly, Trump prefers to do what makes him feel good, even if it means he loses the election. And Rumer added fuel to the fire. Militant and homophobic reactions In response to Graham’s comment.
“I’m not a Democrat, I’m a Democrat,” Greene told CNN’s Manu Raju and other reporters on the steps of the Capitol on Thursday. She was worried Not just about what Loomer said, but what voters are hearing from Sen. J.D. Vance, President Trump’s running mate.
I think that’s really important, and I think we need to focus on policy, on inflation, on the economy, on the border, and not on attacking people because of their race, or attacking people because they don’t have kids and they love their pets. I don’t want to get involved in that, and I don’t think the public would either.”
Trump’s erratic behavior has led a growing number of Republicans to leave the party altogether. On Thursday, former Bush administration Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said: Announced his support for Harris Because Trump’s outlandish conspiracies and grievances are a “threat to the rule of law.” Former Vice President Dick Cheney and Over 200 aides Republican leaders including Mitt Romney, George W. Bush and John McCain.
Republican leaders, surrounded by MAGA extremists like Loomer, Lewandowski and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, are acknowledging that their candidate is completely out of control. Instead of pushing a consistent message that would boost struggling Republican candidates in lower-ranking races, Trump has once again Who actually won the 2020 election? and Include yourself in the list of rebels The person who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
If Trump wants to win the election in November, he’s listening to the wrong people. That’s good news for Democrats, who see their odds of taking back the House increasing with each rambling rant from Trump. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pointed out Trump’s highly questionable judgment during a press conference on Thursday.
“The fact that he would invite 9/11 conspiracy theorists into this solemn commemoration on the sacred date of September 11th should shock the conscience of every decent American,” Jeffries said. “And I believe it does.”
Republicans may want to distance themselves from the likes of Laura Loomer and Matt Gaetz, but these conspiracy-crazed voices now make up a majority of the GOP. Silencing them was always going to be a futile effort. The National Republican Senatorial Committee isn’t even trying. As The Bulwark reported on Friday: The NRSC spread eight of Loomer’s videos. From July.
With these extreme views once again catching Trump’s attention, the Republican establishment now faces its own extinction threat. Smart Republicans are already leaving the party to join Harris’ growing bipartisan coalition. Time is running out for the few remaining.
