Marjorie Taylor Greene Blasts Possible Trump Campaign Hire Loomer—Calls Her ‘Unstable And A Documented Liar’

Topline

Former President Donald Trump wants to hire Laura Loomer, the controversial far-right activist who has expressed anti-Muslim and white nationalist views, to help with his 2024 re-election bid, the New York Times reported—a move fueling concern within Trump’s inner circle and some high-profile supporters, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene blasting the idea.

Key Facts

Trump, who supported Loomer’s failed 2020 run for Congress, recently met with Loomer and instructed advisors to bring her on staff for his campaign or super PAC supporting his candidacy, the Times reported, citing four people familiar with the plans.

Loomer declined to comment to the Times about her potential new role, but expressed strong loyalty for Trump, who she said “likes [her] very much.”

Trump’s interest in Loomer has sparked concerns among his confidants about potential backlash given her history of controversial statements about Muslims, which resulted in her suspension from Twitter and permanent bans from Uber and Lyft.

Trump’s reported bid to hire Loomer comes after his meeting with Kanye West and white supremacist Nick Fuents prompted stern rebukes from Republican lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and former Vice President Mike Pence.

Crucial Quote

“I know a lot of people don’t like me, but that’s their problem, not mine,” Loomer told the Times. “I have proven my loyalty to President Trump countless times over, and even if other people try to malign me and undermine President Trump’s wishes, I will continue to be a ride-or-die Trump supporter.

Chief Critic

Trump-aligned Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she will discourage Trump from hiring Loomer, calling her “mentally unstable and a documented liar” who “loves” Fuentes and “can not be trusted,” she tweeted Friday in response to the Times’ reporting. The two feuded in November when Loomer accused Greene of trying to thwart Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Key Background

Loomer, who is Jewish, has called herself a “proud Islamophobe” who supports “pro-white nationalism.” She was banned from Twitter in 2018 (but reinstated after Elon Musk took over the company) for calling Islam a “cancer” in a tweet that attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) as “pro-Sharia” and “anti Jewish.” She was permanently booted from Lyft and Uber for suggesting an alternative app that doesn’t employ Muslim drivers. Loomer also spread baseless theories about the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, while working for conspiracy site InfoWars.

Tangent

In recent months, Loomer has attacked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to announce a run for president and is polling second to Trump in hypothetical matchups. She has accused DeSantis and his wife Casey, who was previously diagnosed with breast cancer, of trying to “to play the ‘cancer survivor’ card to make people think they are untouchable from criticism,” the Times noted. She also called the couple “social climbers who will NEVER be Donald and Melania Trump” in a February tweet. Loomer boasted about her criticism of DeSantis to the Times, telling the outlet that she “has been independently leading the charge on opposition research, aggressively exposing damning and consequential stories about Ron DeSantis and other Trump opponents.”

Surprising Fact

Trump, who banned travel from Muslim countries during his time in the White House, publicly supported Loomer’s 2020 congressional campaign to represent a Palm Beach County district where Mar-A-Lago is located. “Great going Laura,” he tweeted when she won the primary. Loomer’s second congressional bid—in which she lost the Republican primary last year by a seven-point margin—was supported by Trump’s longtime advisor Roger Stone.

Further Reading

Far-Right Activist Laura Loomer Narrowly Loses Florida GOP House Primary (Forbes)

Far-Right Laura Loomer—Who Had Trump’s Support Despite Islamophobic Past— Loses House Race In President’s District (Forbes)

McConnell Denounces Trump’s Meeting With White Supremacist—Joining These Other Republicans (Forbes)

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/04/07/marjorie-taylor-greene-blasts-possible-trump-campaign-hire-loomer-calls-her-unstable-and-a-documented-liar/