ExtremismLedger
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Laura Loomer

Overview

Laura Loomer is an American far-right political activist, self-described "proud Islamophobe," and unsuccessful two-time Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida. She is included in ExtremismLedger on the basis of her own, direct, recorded statement of explicit ideological alignment with white nationalism (§0 criterion 1) -- not on the basis of any political label, reported association, or inference. This page separately identifies her own statements, reported facts, and any allegation, and does not treat her political activity, candidacy, or advocacy on its own as a basis for inclusion.

Self-described ideological alignment (inclusion basis)

In a 2017 appearance on the podcast Nationalist Public Radio, Loomer was asked directly whether she was "pro-white nationalism." She responded: "Yes. I'm pro-white nationalism, I totally support ethnonationalism," adding a distinction between white nationalism and white supremacy. The recording and quotes were reported by The Daily Beast and Talking Points Memo, among other outlets, in March 2021. This is Loomer's own recorded statement, not an editorial characterization, and is the basis for her inclusion in this database.

Anti-Muslim statements and activism

Loomer has described herself publicly as a "proud Islamophobe," a label reported by Newsweek and other outlets covering her 2020 congressional campaign. According to The National, she has stated that "Muslims should not be allowed to seek public office in the US." In 2018, she posted on social media that "someone needs to create a non-Islamic form of Uber or Lyft," saying she did not want to financially support Muslim immigrant drivers; both Uber and Lyft subsequently banned her from their platforms, per contemporaneous reporting.

Platform bans and the 2018 Twitter headquarters protest

Twitter suspended Loomer's account in November 2018 after she posted that then-Rep.-elect Ilhan Omar was "anti Jewish" and "pro-Sharia law," according to NBC News. Loomer subsequently handcuffed herself to the entrance of Twitter's New York City headquarters in protest, livestreaming the roughly two-and-a-half-hour demonstration; NBC News reported she was not arrested, and NYPD officers eventually cut the handcuffs at her request. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, PayPal, Venmo, Uber, and Lyft have all banned her at various points for policy violations related to hate speech or harassment, per Newsweek's reporting; Twitter (later X) reinstated her account after Elon Musk's 2022 acquisition of the company, according to The National.

2017 arrest at a Central Park theater production

On June 17, 2017, Loomer rushed the stage during a Public Theater production of Julius Caesar in Central Park, shouting that the production was "normaliz[ing]... political violence against the right," and was arrested and charged with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, according to The Washington Post and ABC News. No conviction or other final disposition of these charges was identified in the sources reviewed for this page.

Other reported statements

According to The National, Loomer has promoted the claim that the September 11, 2001 attacks were "an inside job," and posted a racist comment about then-Vice President Kamala Harris suggesting the White House would "smell like curry" and that speeches would be "facilitated via a call centre" under her presidency. In a January 2024 broadcast on her own show, Loomer stated that "the great replacement is not some conspiracy theory... it's very real," as reported by Media Matters for America, a media-monitoring organization -- cited here only for this specific, directly-quoted statement, not as the basis for any other claim on this page.

Political activity and reported proximity to Donald Trump

Loomer ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 21st district in 2020 and again in the 11th district in 2022, losing both Republican primaries or general elections, per Axios's reporting. She has since become a frequent, visible presence at Trump campaign events and, according to NBC News, has publicly pushed for influence over Trump administration personnel decisions. Asked about her, Trump has said, "I don't control Laura... She's a free spirit," and campaign representatives have described her as a private citizen with no formal campaign or administration role, per NBC News. This page does not treat her political activity, candidacy, or proximity to any official on its own as a basis for inclusion; her inclusion rests solely on the own-statement Claim above.

Sources