White House criticizes Donald Trump's ties to Laura Loomer

WASHINGTON – White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Thursday sharply criticized Donald Trump's connection to right-wing conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, who has become increasingly supportive of the former president as he seeks a second term.

“No head of state should ever work with someone who spreads this kind of ugliness, this racist poison,” Jean-Pierre said at a press conference.

The White House's reaction came after Trump attended a September 11 memorial event with Loomer on Wednesday. Loomer had previously spread the false conspiracy theory that the terrorist attack was an “inside job.” A day earlier, Loomer had also traveled with Trump on his plane and participated in the presidential debate.

Jean-Pierre was asked during the daily White House press briefing Thursday afternoon about President Joe Biden's reaction to a racist post in which Loomer criticized Harris' Indian heritage. She was also asked about Loomer's recent travels with Trump.

The press secretary went on to criticize Loomer as someone who “continues to promote such dangerous and offensive conspiracy theories, such as the false notion – such as the false notion – that the tragic attacks of September 11 were an 'inside job.'”

Loomer shared a video on social media last year that falsely claimed, “9/11 was an inside job!” She is known for her long history of spreading conspiracy theories about migrants, school shootings and the Democrats, to name a few.

In a post to X on Sunday, Loomer attacked Harris, saying that if the vice president wins the November election, “the White House will smell like curry and White House speeches will be delivered through a call center and the American people will only be able to provide feedback through a customer satisfaction survey at the end of the call that no one will understand.”

“These kinds of comments are abhorrent,” Jean-Pierre said, addressing Loomer during Thursday's press conference. “It is un-American to say such things, exactly the kind of hateful and divisive rhetoric we should condemn.”

The Trump team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Jean-Pierre's comments.

On Wednesday, a Trump campaign spokesman issued a statement about the former president's 9/11 commemorations but did not answer questions about Trump's travels with Loomer or whether the campaign was aware that she had spread 9/11 conspiracy theories.

Loomer did not respond to several requests for comment.

On Thursday morning, Loomer continued making baseless claims, this time against Haitians.

“Haitian immigrants don’t just eat cats and dogs,” she said in a social media post. “They eat PEOPLE.”

Two days earlier, Trump had promoted a similar conspiracy theory at the presidential debate in Philadelphia, falsely claiming that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were “eating the dogs, the people who came here, they're eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people who live there.”

In an interview with Telemundo station KTAZ in Arizona on Thursday, he reiterated his statement: “Some of the pets were taken by the migrants, and that is a disgrace.”

The migrants would “cause great damage,” he added.

Haitians in Springfield told NBC News they were “fearful for their lives” because of anti-immigrant rhetoric. On Thursday, the city temporarily closed its city hall after receiving a bomb threat.

Trump's connection to Loomer has caused consternation among some Republicans in the U.S. Congress, but most Republican lawmakers have refused to comment on the connection.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said Wednesday that Loomer should delete her “extremely racist” post about Harris, adding: “That does not represent President Trump.”

On Thursday, a spokesman for Senator Lindsey Graham, RS.C., called Loomer “a stain on society.”

“Her vile, vicious, destructive, racist rhetoric and views should not have a prominent place in this country,” spokeswoman Taylor Reidy said in a statement.

Trump has not distanced himself from Loomer's recent comments or her conspiracy theories.