WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Thursday slammed Donald Trump’s association with right-wing conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, who has become an increasing presence alongside the former president as he seeks a second term.
“No leader should ever associate with someone who spreads this kind of ugliness, this kind of racist poison,” Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing.
The White House reaction comes after Trump attended a Sept. 11 remembrance event on Wednesday with Loomer, who has previously pushed the false conspiracy theory about the terrorist attack being an “inside job.” A day earlier, Loomer also traveled with Trump on his plane and attended the presidential debate.
Jean-Pierre was asked during the daily White House briefing on Thursday afternoon for President Joe Biden’s response to a racist post this week in which Loomer targeted Harris’ Indian heritage. She was also asked about Loomer’s recent travels with Trump.
The press secretary went on to lambaste Loomer as someone “who continues to fan these types of dangerous and insulting conspiracy theories, like the false notion — like the false notion — that the tragic 9/11 attacks were an ‘inside job.’”
Loomer had shared a video on social media last year that falsely claimed “9/11 was an Inside Job!” She has a long history of pushing conspiracy theories about migrants, school shootings and Democrats, among other topics.
In a post to X on Sunday, Loomer went after Harris by saying that if the vice president wins the election in November, “the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center and the American people will only be able to convey their feedback through a customer satisfaction survey at the end of the call that nobody will understand.”
“It is repugnant, these types of comments,” said Jean-Pierre when addressing Loomer during Thursday’s press conference. “It is un-American to say these types of things, exactly the kind of hateful and divisive rhetoric that we should denounce.”
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Jean-Pierre’s remarks.
On Wednesday, a Trump campaign spokesperson provided a statement about the former president’s 9/11 commemoration, but did not answer questions about Trump’s travels with Loomer or whether the campaign was aware that she has pushed 9/11 conspiracy theories.
Loomer has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
On Thursday morning, Loomer continued pushing baseless claims, this time targeting Haitians.
“Haitian immigrants aren’t just eating cats and dogs,” she said in a social media post. “They eat HUMANS.”
Two days earlier, at the presidential debate in Philadelphia, Trump pushed a similar conspiracy theory, falsely claiming that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, are “eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
He doubled down on those remarks during an interview with Arizona Telemundo station KTAZ, which is owned by NBCUniversal, on Thursday, saying that “some of the pets were taken by the migrants, and it’s a shame.”
The migrants were “doing a lot of damage,” he added.
Haitians in Springfield have told NBC News that the anti-migrant rhetoric has made them “scared for their lives.” On Thursday, the town temporarily closed its City Hall after receiving a bomb threat.
Trump’s affiliation with Loomer has prompted feelings of consternation among some Republicans on Capitol Hill, though most GOP lawmakers have declined to weigh in on their association.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Wednesday said Loomer should remove her “extremely racist” post about Harris, adding that “this does not represent President Trump.”
On Thursday, a spokesperson for Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called Loomer “a stain on society.”
“There should be no place of prominence in this country for her vile, mean-spirited, destructive, racist rhetoric and views,” said spokesperson Taylor Reidy in a statement.
Trump has not distanced himself from Loomer’s recent comments or her conspiracy theories.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
