Every year, many gather in New York to remember and honor all those who lost their lives on that day, as well as to recognize the first responders and the many in military uniform who went to the other side of the world to find the authors of this horrific attack.
There has never been a demonstration against this sacred ground and the lives lost. Many politicians and others attending have bowed their heads as the names of the deceased were called out while a bell was rung.
This year, Donald J. Trump changed all that when he attended with Laura Loomer by his side. Laura has a long history of right-wing, misguided theories. One of her biggest is that she believes, and has preached, that America was not attacked by foreign agents but that it was an inside job perpetrated by the government.
How can a presidential candidate bring to the site of the Twin Towers a person who is a 9/11 denier? Someone should have escorted her and Trump out of the area. The media should have jumped on Trump right there at the site and perhaps demanded that they both leave.
She also traveled with Trump to the 9/11 event in Pennsylvania. Voters of this fine state should be angered that she was there and should know that this man and Laura were spitting in their faces with this degradation of such an important and solemn event.
NBC News asked the Trump campaign for details about the decision to have Loomer travel with Trump, the extent of her conversations with him, and whether the campaign knew she had promoted 9/11 conspiracy theories before inviting her to accompany Trump to the debate and to Ground Zero. Now she is a regular passenger on his plane. Trump says she is very smart and has some good ideas. Probably her ideas are as good as Trump’s plans for replacing the Affordable Care Act. He should share some of her so-called good ideas.
She is the kind of cheerleader Trump does not need. The Republican party should throw her under the bus, and in this case, under the plane.
Undecided voters should be bothered by this right-wing conspiracy-based romance.
She probably whispers more of her conspiracy theories about immigrants, which keeps Trump lying about Haitians. She likely makes him believe he won the debate.
Laura Loomer has a history of extreme theories. Loomer first gained national attention for her involvement in the “alt-right” movement and her frequent targeting of minority groups. One of her most controversial moments came when she called for a ridesharing service that would ban Muslim drivers, following her anti-Islam rhetoric.
In 2017, after a terrorist attack in New York City, Loomer launched into a daylong anti-Islam rant on Twitter, blaming Muslims for the violence and calling for a ridesharing service that would ban Muslim drivers. “Someone needs to create a non-Islamic form of Uber or Lyft because I never want to support another Islamic immigrant driver,” she tweeted, tagging both companies, NBC News reported. The swift backlash led Uber and Lyft to ban her from their platforms permanently.
Her social media posts have frequently ventured into outright conspiracy theories. Loomer has claimed that the 9/11 attacks were an “inside job,” a baseless accusation that adds to the host of fringe beliefs she has propagated. This theory, which suggests U.S. officials were somehow complicit in the attacks, has been debunked but remains a rallying cry among certain factions of the far right.
Loomer’s rhetoric has been so incendiary that even Greene, a figure known for her controversial statements, has publicly condemned her. In April 2023, when Trump reportedly considered hiring Loomer for his 2024 campaign, Greene took to social media to express her opposition. Describing Loomer as “mentally unstable” and “poisonous,” Greene urged Trump to distance himself from the controversial activist.
Marjorie Taylor Greene calls far-right activist Laura Loomer’s rhetoric a ‘huge problem’ that ‘doesn’t represent MAGA.’ GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized far-right activist Laura Loomer on Thursday, saying that her “rhetoric and hateful tone” is concerning, a problem, and “doesn’t represent MAGA as a whole.”
The comments from Greene, a Georgia Republican who has her own high-profile history of incendiary and inflammatory remarks, came after the congresswoman called on Loomer to take down an X post in which Loomer said if Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, who is half Indian, wins, “the White House will smell like curry, and White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center.”
Greene called the post “extremely racist,” and wrote in response on X, “This does not represent President Trump.”
Trump has wrapped himself in the language of the horrific 2025 plan and aligned with warped individuals like Loomer. All voters should fear this man getting into the White House again. And who is this Laura Loomer, the MAGA Republican too racist even for Marjorie Taylor Greene?
This right-wing extremist is exerting her influence on Donald Trump and the MAGA base.
Greene, who has herself been accused of promoting racist and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, responded by calling Loomer’s remarks “appalling and extremely racist,” adding that Loomer “does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA.”
Greene’s condemnation was notable because it marked a rare moment when a prominent figure within the MAGA movement publicly distanced themselves from someone for being too extreme. Greene’s record includes statements downplaying the significance of the Holocaust and spreading conspiracy theories about “Jewish space lasers.”
While some Republicans have also voiced concern about Loomer’s influence, many within Trump’s base view her as a loyal supporter willing to speak truth while others won’t.
“If anything’s sacred in this country, it should be 9/11. There are so many people who haven’t healed,” 9/11 responder John Feal said Thursday on CNN. “It’s an insult to those who have to fight for their lives now, who are sick and dying.”
The White House condemned Trump’s association with Loomer this week. So did New York Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, who called Loomer’s attendance at the 9/11 event “shocking” and “offensive to the thousands of people who lost their lives.”
“She’s disgraceful,” Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) said in a statement. “Anyone who believes that 9/11 was an inside job or part of some big conspiracy is a fringe character,” added Nate Soule, spokesperson for Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.). “Congressman Lawler firmly believes that nonsense like this does a tremendous disservice to the memory of the thousands of Americans who lost their lives that day and in the years since, their families, and our country.”
She has also given voice to conspiracy theories about pop star Taylor Swift and her romantic relationship with football player Travis Kelce, calling it “arranged” and saying the relationship is meant to help Democrats win the upcoming election. Loomer has also questioned the reality behind mass shootings, wondering whether they’ve been staged to help Democrats win votes.
Trump told NBC News, “I don’t know that much about it. No, I don’t,” when asked whether he’s familiar with Loomer’s conspiracy theories. He added, “I know she’s a big fan of the campaign, but I really don’t know.”
Trump does know what she represents, and that’s why she is on the plane and at his side. She has been vetted by the Secret Service, and her views are not hidden from anyone.
Later, in a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that Loomer “doesn’t work for the Campaign. She’s a private citizen and longtime supporter. 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.”
Donald Trump allies are worried that the former president’s ties to right-wing activist Laura Loomer could cost him votes in key battleground states.
The allies told NBC News that there are “real concerns” about Loomer and Trump’s association, especially in the wake of her racist social media post about Vice President Kamala Harris.
“She has to go. Laura Loomer cannot stay. She just can’t. She is unapologetic,” one Trump ally told NBC News, adding, “This woman attacked the vice president of the United States in such a racist manner. It was appalling, and she hasn’t apologized.”
Several allies, who were granted anonymity to speak candidly, warned that Loomer’s rhetoric about Harris could hurt Trump’s standing with critical voters, particularly in the key states of Georgia and North Carolina, which have large Indian American and Hindu populations.
The former president was told, “If you don’t fix this, it will be a problem,” the ally added.
A statement provided to NBC News from the Georgia Chapter of the American Hindu Coalition — which bills itself as a nonpartisan advocacy group — and posted by Greene on social media, also warned about Loomer’s rhetoric, saying that while “President Trump and his dedicated allies — such as Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene — have worked tirelessly to build a future where every American can thrive… recent statements that attempt to divide our community along racial or ethnic lines, specifically those made by Ms. Laura Loomer, are completely unacceptable and do not reflect the values of this movement or the America we seek to build.”
Indian Americans account for a bit more than 1% of the total U.S. population, according to Census estimates. Georgia has the highest share of any 2024 battleground at about 1.5% of the state population, followed by Pennsylvania and Michigan at 1.2%, and North Carolina at 1.1%, according to Pew Research. Republicans won Georgia and North Carolina in 2016, while losing Pennsylvania and Michigan.
A statement provided to NBC News from the Georgia Chapter of the American Hindu Coalition — which identifies as a nonpartisan advocacy group — and posted by Greene on social media also warned about Loomer’s rhetoric, stating that while «President Trump and his dedicated allies — such as Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene — have worked tirelessly to build a future where every American can thrive … recent statements that attempt to divide our community along racial or ethnic lines, specifically those made by Ms. Laura Loomer, are completely unacceptable and do not reflect the values of this movement or the America we seek to build.»
Indian Americans account for a little over 1% of the total U.S. population, according to Census estimates. Georgia has the highest share of any 2024 battleground state at about 1.5% of its population, followed by Pennsylvania and Michigan at 1.2%, and North Carolina at 1.1%. Georgia and North Carolina are among the closest states in the 2024 presidential race, with most public polling showing the margins between Harris and Trump within just a few percentage points. Critically, both states have recent track records of ticket-splitting, with a portion of MAGA-skeptical voters making a decisive impact.
Trump appeared to try distancing himself from Loomer, telling reporters at a press conference in California, «I don’t control Laura. Laura — she’s a, she’s a free spirit. Well, I don’t know. I mean, look, I can’t tell Laura what to do.» But he can kick her off the plane and choose not to be seen in public with her.
After the debate, Loomer promoted a false claim that during the presidential debate, Harris wore audio earrings that helped her communicate with advisers onstage. The theory was widely debunked. A Trump ally said, «I think he needs to go further. She needs to be completely removed. I will not tolerate it, and I just cannot tolerate her comments. I don’t want her anywhere near us at all. This is not who we are as a party.»
Reached by NBC News via text, Loomer repeated Trump’s claim that she does not work for his campaign and criticized those raising concerns about her, saying, «[H]ow come they are gossiping to the media instead of knocking on doors and campaigning in Georgia and North Carolina? Gossiping is much easier than working. I work every day in support of Donald Trump. I spend over 19 hours a day working in support of Donald Trump and have dedicated all of my time to helping him win. Perhaps they should do the same.»
Loomer made another statement on X (formerly Twitter) that garnered fresh criticism. Just two days after the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks — a day she spent attending 9/11 memorial services with Trump — she wrote, «23 years later, and there are still a lot of unanswered questions,» alongside a video of Trump in 2001 questioning whether airplanes could hit the Twin Towers with enough force to collapse them.
The right-wing social media influencer also engaged in several online spats this week with Republican lawmakers such as Greene of Georgia and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. After Loomer’s post referencing the smell of curry, Greene responded writing, «This is appalling and extremely racist. It does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA. This does not represent President Trump. This type of behavior should not be tolerated ever.»
But, as a reminder, Trump has never properly honored military heroes, calling them «suckers and losers.» So, unfortunately, it’s not surprising that he would have Loomer at the 9/11 events. This tragedy, which brought fear and pain to so many, is why we must honor those affected by this god-awful chapter in our history.
But when will the Republican Party push this woman away from their candidate? Many down-ballot candidates don’t want to be in a position of defending her and her association with Trump. Tomorrow may be too late.
