WASHINGTON – White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Thursday criticized Donald Trump’s connections. right-wing conspiracy theorist Laura Loomerwhich becomes a growing entity along with the former president he wants to run for a second term.
“No leader should ever associate with someone who spreads this kind of filth, this kind of racist venom,” Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing.
The White House’s response comes after Trump attended a 9/11 memorial on Wednesday with Loomer, who previously floated a bogus conspiracy theory that the terrorist attack was an “inside job.” The day before, Loomer also traveled with Trump on his plane and participated in the presidential debate.
Jean-Pierre was asked during the daily briefing at the White House on Thursday afternoon President Joe Biden‘etc A response to a racist post this week in which Loomer targeted Harris’ Indian heritage. Additionally, they asked about Loomer’s recent travels with Trump.
The press secretary went on to criticize Loomer as someone who “continues to promote dangerous and offensive conspiracy theories, such as the false notion that the tragic 9/11 attacks were an ‘inside job.’
“9/11 was an inside job!” Loomer tweeted last year on social media. He has a long history of promoting conspiracy theories about immigrants, school shootings and Democrats, among other topics.
In an article for Sunday X, Loomer he followed Harris If the vice president wins the election in November, “the White House will smell like curry, and White House speeches will be facilitated through a call center, and the American people will be able to give their feedback only through a customer satisfaction survey. the end of a call that no one will understand.”
“These kinds of comments are disgusting,” Jean-Pierre said of Loomer during a press conference Thursday. “It’s un-American to say these kinds of things, hateful and divisive rhetoric, which is exactly what we should condemn.”
Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Jean-Pierre’s remarks.
A Trump campaign spokeswoman on Wednesday released a statement about the former president’s 9/11 memorial, but did not respond to questions about Trump’s travels with Loomer or whether the campaign was aware that he was promoting 9/11 conspiracy theories.
Loomer did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
On Thursday morning, Loomer continued to make baseless claims, this time targeting Haitians.
“Haitian immigrants don’t just eat cats and dogs,” he said in a social media post. “They eat PEOPLE.”
At a presidential debate in Philadelphia two days ago, Trump floated a similar conspiracy theory, falsely claiming that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were “eating dogs, people coming in, cats. They eat the pets of the people living there.”
In an interview with Arizona Telemundo station KTAZ on Thursday, he doubled down on those words, saying “some of the pets were taken by migrants and that’s a shame.”
He added that the migrants were “causing a lot of damage”.
There are Haitians in Springfield This was reported by NBC News anti-migrant rhetoric has made them “fear for their lives”. On Thursday, the city temporarily closed city hall after receiving a bomb threat.
Trump’s connection to Loomer has sparked consternation among some Republicans on Capitol Hill, though most GOP lawmakers have refused to comment on their association.
Rep. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said Wednesday that Loomer should remove the “extremely racist” post about Harris, adding that “it does not represent President Trump.”
On Thursday, a spokeswoman for Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called Loomer “a stain on society.”
“This country should have no popular place for his vile, mean-spirited, destructive, racist rhetoric and views,” spokeswoman Taylor Reidy said.
Trump has not distanced himself from Loomer’s recent comments or his conspiracy theories.