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By Alexandra Ulmer and Gram Slattery
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, California (Reuters) -Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday sought to distance himself from far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, whose presence on the campaign trail drew rebukes from both Trump's allies and the White House, but he did not disavow her.
In a statement released on Friday, Trump said he did not agree with Loomer's past statements, but he still welcomed her support. Trump made clear that she does not work for his campaign, even though Loomer traveled on his plane for much of the week.
Loomer, who commands a following on X of 1.2 million people, previously suggested the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were an inside job by sharing a video last year on X that promoted that conspiracy theory. She has since changed her position and told CNN in an interview published on Thursday that the attacks were carried out by "Islamic terrorists."
Earlier in the day, Trump was asked about Loomer during a press conference at his Southern California golf club.
“She is a strong person, she’s got strong opinions,” Trump said, calling her a ”free spirit.”
Later on Friday, at a rally in Las Vegas, Trump said he had heard that Democratic rival Kamala Harris had used a secret earpiece during their Tuesday debate in Philadelphia, a baseless conspiracy theory that Loomer has promoted on X.
Loomer showed up at Trump's debate Tuesday and then in New York on Wednesday to commemorate the Sept. 11 attacks.
She sparked fierce blowback when she posted on X earlier this week that if Harris, who is of Indian descent, won the Nov. 5 election, "the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center."
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre denounced Loomer’s remarks as “racist poison” and criticized Trump for associating with her.
Several prominent Trump-supporting Republicans, including U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis, also denounced Loomer after her comment about Harris.
Tillis wrote on X on Friday that Loomer "is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans.”
During Trump's press conference in California, Loomer was busily promoting his remarks on X and making incendiary comments about immigrants who enter the U.S. illegally.
Afterward, she posted: "I'm simply a ride or die supporter of President Trump." In a separate post on Friday, she said the Republicans attacking her were jealous that they were not with Trump on his plane.
Loomer, a Floridian who has twice unsuccessfully run for Congress, has a long history of expressing anti-Muslim sentiment. Her views caused her then-Twitter account to be banned, a decision that was reversed after Elon Musk bought the company, since renamed X.
(Reporting by Alexandra Ulmer in California; Writing by James Oliphant; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler)
