Far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer has recently been accompanying Donald Trump on the campaign trail, raising significant concerns, including among some Republican Party leaders, about the former congressional candidate’s potential influence on the president.

Loomer is known for her hate speech against Muslims and for spreading conspiracy theories, such as the idea that the U.S. government orchestrated an “inside job” behind the September 11 attacks.

Loomer accompanied Trump to the presidential debate

The 31-year-old accompanied Trump to a ceremony on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the attacks, which led to displeasure among some US media outlets over her presence.

She boarded Trump’s plane on Tuesday to travel to Philadelphia for the first presidential debate between the former president and Harris.

When asked by CNN why she accompanied Trump on his Patriot Day trip to New York and to a debate stage, the former president’s campaign staffer refused to comment on her attendance, saying, “That day was about none other than the souls who are no longer with us.”

“This day was about none other than the souls who are no longer with us, their families and the heroes who bravely stepped in to save their fellow Americans on that fateful day,” the official said.

One of the defining moments of Tuesday night’s debate was Trump’s baseless accusation that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were stealing and eating pets. “They’re eating the pets of the people who live there,” the former president said.

“They eat the pets of the people who live there,” he added.

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After Trump was corrected by the ABC anchor on his dubious claim, the GOP leader said he was repeating something he heard on television. The baseless theory, however, was allegedly spread by Loomer before the debate. The social media influencer and fringe commentator reiterated the baseless allegations to her 1.2 million followers on X on Monday.

Republicans express concerns about Loomer’s connection to Trump

Not only Loomer, but Trump’s vice presidential candidate JD Vance also spread the debunked conspiracy theory. Meanwhile, some Republicans have attributed the former president’s baseless claim on stage to Loomer, based on her X-post and her presence in Philadelphia.

According to the US news portal Semafor, an anonymous person close to Trump’s campaign team said they were “100 percent” concerned about Loomer’s proximity to the former president.

The insider was quoted as saying: “Regardless of the guardrails the Trump campaign has put in place, I don’t think it’s working.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Senator Lindsey Graham warned Trump to stay away from the “toxic” Loomer, and MTG said, “I am concerned about her rhetoric and hateful tone.”

However, another source told the publication that Loomer is a “positive person” and that she does not interfere in Trump’s debate preparations.

Republican consultant Dennis Lennox was quite scathing in his assessment of Trump and Loomer’s performance in the debate. “This is what happens when you improvise, live in the Fox News-X bubble and rely on Matt Gaetz, not to mention Laura Loomer,” he told Semafor.

In a phone interview with CNN, Loomer said she did not understand the concerns about her going to a 9/11 memorial with Trump. She claimed people were happy to see her and even said, “Thank you for coming.”

“I have never denied that the September 11 terrorist attacks were carried out by Islamic terrorists. In fact, the media labels me as anti-Muslim precisely because I spend so much time talking about the threats of Islamic terrorism in America.”

According to her, she accompanied the former president on the plane after an assassination attempt was made on him.

“He wanted me to be on the plane with him the day after he was almost assassinated. I was with him. I flew with him to the (Republican National Convention) so he could show that I was a trustworthy person and that I had his back,” Loomer said.

She had previously stated that she was working “independently” for Trump and described him as “truly the last hope of our nation.”

“To the many reporters calling me and obsessively asking me to speak to them today, the answer is no,” she wrote, mentioning that she was “very busy working” on her stories and investigations.

“I don’t have time to deal with your conspiracy theories,” she added.

Meanwhile, Trump was criticized by the White House on Thursday for his connection to Loomer.

She predicted that if Harris wins the election on November 5, “the White House will smell of curry and the White House speeches will be delivered through a call center.”

Responding to her comments, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said on Thursday that “comments of this kind are abhorrent.” “It is un-American to say such things, it is exactly the kind of hateful and divisive rhetoric we should condemn.”

“No leader should ever work with someone who spreads this kind of ugliness, this racist poison,” Jean-Pierre noted.

Who is Laura Loomer and what is her connection to Trump?

A self-proclaimed investigative journalist, Loomer, born in Arizona in 1993, has extensive experience as an activist and commentator for publications including Alex Jones’ Infowars and Project Veritas.

With Trump’s support, she entered the 2020 election campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida as a Republican, but lost to Democrat Lois Frankel.

Two years later, she made another unsuccessful attempt to unseat Representative Daniel Webster in a Republican primary in another Florida district.

She is now known for her outspoken support of Trump, but also for spreading numerous conspiracy theories. For example, she claims that Kamala Harris is not black or that the son of billionaire George Soros called for Trump’s assassination in cryptic messages.

She was banned from several social media sites, including Facebook and Instagram, for making derogatory remarks about Muslim drivers, at one point calling herself a “proud Islamophobe.” In addition, she was banned from Twitter, which remained in effect until billionaire Elon Musk acquired the site – now known as X – and restored her account.

Loomer has been spotted multiple times at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. She boarded his plane to travel to Iowa, where he welcomed her on stage at an event earlier this year. Trump noted, “You want her on your side.” In addition, the former president posted a number of her videos on Truth Social.

In addition, the New York Times revealed last year that Trump had expressed interest in hiring her for his campaign, but he backed out after senior advisers expressed concern that she would jeopardize his chances of winning the presidential election.