Janice R. Andrews
On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump went to a memorial event for September 11 with far-right activist Laura Loomer. Loomer has been a supporter of the false conspiracy theory that the 9/11 attacks were “an inside job.” The controversial event took place at a fire station in lower Manhattan, New York. Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, met with firemen, some of whom lost coworkers in the 9/11 attacks.
Trump’s Visit to Remember 9/11 Victims
The reason Trump went to the fire station was to remember the people who died in the September 11 terrorist strikes. The event was serious, and Trump took the time to talk to the firefighters and honor the heroes who came to help after the terrible events.
But the fact that he chose to appear with Laura Loomer caused a stir. Loomer, a known Trump supporter and far-right agitator, has made it clear that she believes in conspiracy theories. For example, she has said that the U.S. government planned the 9/11 attacks, which is not true.
The controversial history of Loomer and his role
Throughout the day, Loomer shared videos on social media showing Trump taking part in events at the 9/11 tribute. She also went to the Tuesday night presidential debate and flew on Trump’s plane, which strengthened her ties to the former president even more.
Loomer has a past of spreading lies and conspiracy ideas. She sent out a long message on X (formerly Twitter) last year that included a video that wrongly said “9/11 was an inside job!” Even though the media asked Loomer several times, she did not answer when asked about her present feelings about 9/11 or why she was going with Trump to the memorial.
NBC News asked Loomer about her, and she wrote on X, “I believe in unconditional loyalty to those who deserve it.” This was in response to their questions. And Donald Trump is the only person who deserves our undying support and loyalty.
The Trump campaign’s answer
Even though the Trump team didn’t directly talk about Loomer’s appearance or her feelings about 9/11, they did put out a statement about how Trump remembered the victims. “Today, President Trump put politics aside and stood beside Kamala Harris and Joe Biden to honor those who lost their lives during the worst terrorist attack in our nation’s history,” a campaign worker said.
The message made it clear that the day was not about remembering politicians or people connected to them, but about the dead, their families, and the heroes who helped during the attacks.
What Trump’s Allies Have to Say
Some people in Loomer’s own political groups don’t like that he was at the 9/11 event with Trump. Notably, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is also a supporter of Trump, spoke out against Loomer for another racist post he made about Vice President Kamala Harris.
Greene told Loomer on X, “This is appalling and extremely racist,” and asked him to remove the “extremely racist” post. We are not who we say we are as Republicans or MAGA. This is not what President Trump looks like. We should never put up with this kind of behavior.
Some of Loomer’s rude comments were racist, like when he talked about Harris and said that if she won the election, the White House “would smell like curry” and all official contacts would go through “a call center.” Harris has been the first person of Indian descent and the first Black woman to be on a major party’s presidential ticket. Throughout her career, she has been the target of many racist insults.
Loomer’s Answer to Criticism
Even though Greene told Loomer she was wrong, she wouldn’t take back what she said. Instead, she slammed Greene on social media, making her position clear again and criticizing Greene’s own rough past. Greene has been criticized for backing the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory and spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories. She has also been criticized for making hurtful links between COVID-19 mask laws and the Holocaust.
Loomer’s unwillingness to give in shows how divided far-right groups are becoming. People like Greene and Loomer used to support Trump and the MAGA movement as a whole, but now it’s clear that they are fighting with each other over what kind of language is okay.
The History of Theories About Conspiracies
Loomer is linked to far-right ideas and conspiracy theories in more ways than one, including her views on 9/11. She has spread false information about school killings in the past, saying that they are allowed to happen to push for gun control in politics. Loomer has also made false claims about illegal immigrants, saying that they were being allowed to vote in elections when that was not true.
She told a lot of lies, like that Haitian immigrants were “eating cats” and that pop stars Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were in a “arranged relationship” to try to change the outcome of the 2024 election.
Donald Trump’s choice to go to a 9/11 remembrance event with Laura Loomer, who believes a lot of conspiracy theories, has caused a lot of debate and been criticized by both supporters and opponents of the president. The Trump campaign wanted to remember the victims of the September 11 attacks, but Loomer’s appearance took away from the solemnity of the event, which raised questions about the former president’s ties to far-right figures who spread false information.
The more Trump campaigns for 2024, the more his ties to people like Loomer may cause problems within his wider political base, especially since people like Marjorie Taylor Greene criticize the hateful ideas Loomer keeps spreading.
