Laura Loomer’s history in Florida politics, explained
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Donald Trump’s travel companion is raising eyebrows. “Really toxic. ” Someone who airs “nasty, racist, and divisive rhetoric. ” A “proud Islamophobe. ” These are just some of the things that conservatives call Laura Loomer.
That last quote is Loomer talking about herself. So why has she become former President Donald Trump’s travel companion in recent days? The Trump campaign didn’t answer that question when emailed for comment. Loomer also couldn’t be reached for comment. However, the campaign has noted that Loomer is not a staffer and that she doesn’t advise Trump on his campaign or policy.
To unravel the mystery of Loomer’s connection to Trump, we have to start in Florida. A history of Islamophobia A decade ago, Loomer, then a college student at the Miami-area Barry University, first made headlines by tipping off the far-right blog Gateway Pundit about an imam attending a 9/11 memorial on her campus. She eventually got suspended for an attempted sting in which she taped herself telling a teacher that she wanted to form a pro-ISIS on-campus group. Her anti-Muslim actions, writings and statements continued as she became a conservative social media influencer. Some notable moments, according to a fact sheet compiled by Georgetown University’s Bridge initiative: * In 2017, after a terrorist truck bombing in New York City killed eight people, Loomer unleashed a series of bigoted tweets claiming, among other things, “Someone needs to create a non Islamic form of @uber or @lyft because I never want to support another Islamic immigrant driver.
” * The next year, she had her press credentials revoked from an Orlando courthouse after she confronted the family of the widow of the ISIS-inspired Pulse nightclub shooter. The widow was on trial for aiding her husband but was acquitted of all charges. * By August 2020, Loomer’s rhetoric got her banned from Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, which is now called X and has since reinstated her. An unsuccessful political career In 2019, Loomer launched a foray into Republican politics, filing to run in the GOP primary in the race for Florida’s 21st Congressional District. The deep-blue district was held by Democrat Lois Frankel — and was home to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago.
Loomer raised more than $2 million for her run, coasting to a win in a six-way Republican primary.