Who is the woman following Mr. Trump closely that worries Republican congressmen?

Far-right activist Laura Loomer has appeared alongside Mr Trump at rallies this week for the former president, although he claims to be unaware of the conspiracy theories she promotes.

The role of this character in Mr. Trump's team is alarming Republicans, who are concerned that their presidential candidate is sinking deeper into the world of conspiracy and racism, according to Axios .

Laura Loomer steps off Trump's plane in Philadelphia before the debate on September 10.

Who is Laura Loomer?

Laura Loomer is an American far-right political activist known for her controversial views and actions. Once a proud Islamophobe, Loomer believed that the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States were an inside job. She only recently changed her mind, telling CNN that the attacks were carried out by Muslim terrorists.

The 31-year-old activist also falsely claimed that President Joe Biden was behind the assassination of Mr Trump in July.

This week, she spread another baseless conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants eat pets, a story also widely promoted by Mr. Trump and his supporters.

In 2015, she posed as a supporter of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to try to “trap” Clinton’s presidential campaign staff into accepting illegal donations. And Loomer said she has become a fan of Trump since that “spy” mission to expose “all the dirty work.”

Mr. Trump and Ms. Laura Loomer at an event in August 2023

PHOTO: SCREENSHOT THE INDEPENDENT

Loomer’s social media accounts reportedly included controversial posts about immigrants and other groups, and suggested that many school shootings were staged. While she denied being racist, Loomer described herself as a white nationalist.

Because of her controversial posts, she was banned from many social networks such as Twitter (now renamed X), Facebook and Instagram for violating the policies of these platforms. However, she currently has 1.2 million followers on X, a social network currently owned by Mr. Elon Musk - another ally of Mr. Trump. Ms. Loomer has run for the US Congress twice but was unsuccessful.

President Biden wears 'Trump 2024' hat, White House quickly explains

Next to Mr. Trump

Although she insists she does not work for Trump, Laura Loomer is a frequent guest at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. She flew on Trump’s plane to the September 10 debate in Philadelphia and was part of the presidential candidate’s team that traveled to New York to commemorate the September 11 attacks.

Just before the debate, Ms. Loomer said that if Vice President Kamala Harris won in November, "the White House would smell like curry and White House speeches would be delivered through a switchboard," statements that alluded to Ms. Harris's Indian heritage, according to Reuters.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later condemned the "disgusting" and "hateful and divisive" comments, saying no leader should associate with someone who spreads such rhetoric.

In response, Ms. Loomer insisted that she was not a racist and claimed that Ms. Jean-Pierre, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, had criticized her for not liking her social media posts about Haitian immigrants eating their pets.

Mr. Trump and Ms. Loomer at the former president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida

PHOTO: SCREENSHOT THE DAILY BEAST

Asked about his relationship with Loomer, Trump said on September 13 that she was a supporter of him and his campaign. "I don't control Laura. Laura has to say what she wants. She's a free spirit," Trump said.

When asked about the conspiracy theories that Ms. Loomer spread, the former president said he did not know much about them. In a post on the social network Truth Social that same day, Mr. Trump said he did not agree with the claims Ms. Loomer made, but defended her, saying that the activist was tired of watching the left attack and smear him.

According to NBC News, many close allies of Mr. Trump such as Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green and Senator Lindsey Graham have publicly urged the Republican candidate to stay away from Ms. Loomer.

"This is horrifying and extremely racist," Green, who is known for his far-right views, said of Loomer's comments, saying they were uncharacteristic of a Republican or a supporter of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis called Ms Loomer a crazy conspiracy theorist who "regularly spews disgusting garbage aimed at dividing the Republican Party".

"A Democratic spy could not have done a better job of hurting President Trump's re-election chances than she did," Tillis wrote on X.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nguoi-phu-nu-theo-sat-ong-trump-khien-nghi-si-cong-hoa-lo-ngai-la-ai-185240915011208629.htm