Donald Trump’s allies worry that the former president’s ties to right-wing activist Laura Loomer could cost him votes in key battleground states.
Allies told NBC News that there are “real concerns” about Loomer and Trump’s union, especially after a racist social media post this week about Vice President Kamala Harris, who said the “White House will smell like curry and white.” if he wins, home calls will be facilitated through the call center.”
“He must go. Laura Loomer can’t stay. He just can’t. She will not apologize,” one of Trump’s allies told NBC News, adding: “This woman attacked the vice president of the United States in such a racist way. It was horrible and he didn’t apologize.
Several allies, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak candidly, warned that Loomer’s rhetoric about Harris could damage Trump’s standing with critical voters, particularly in Georgia and North Carolina, which have large Indian-American and Hindu populations.
A second Trump ally told NBC News that Trump had been warned about it directly “by people in Georgia and North Carolina.”
The former president was told: “If you don’t fix this, there will be trouble,” the ally added.
A statement to NBC News from the Georgia chapter of the American Hindu Coalition — which bills itself as a nonpartisan advocacy group — and Posted by Greene on social media, also warning about Loomer’s rhetoric, saying that “while President Trump and his staunch allies, such as Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, work tirelessly to build a future where every American can thrive… statements. “Racial or ethnic lines, especially those drawn by Ms. Laura Loomer, are completely unacceptable and do not reflect the values of this movement or the America we want to build.”
One ally said they were pleased with Trump shared part of the statement by the group on its TruthSocial page, saying it’s an indication that it’s taking the issue seriously.
According to Census estimates, Indian Americans make up just over 1% of the total US population. Georgia has the highest share of any battleground in 2024 at about 1.5% of the state’s population, followed by Pennsylvania and Michigan at 1.2% and North Carolina at 1.1%.
Georgia and North Carolina are among the closest states in the 2024 presidential race, with most public polls showing a few percentage points between Harris and Trump in both places. Critically, both states have recent records of ticket distribution, with a fraction of MAGA-skeptic voters crucial.
In 2022, Georgia voters rejected Trump-backed Senate candidate Herschel Walker as unfit, even as they re-elected Republican Gov. Brian Kemp by 7.5 points, two years after Trump narrowly lost the state. Walker, however, trailed Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock by one point in the same vote before Warnock won in a December 2022 runoff.
In North Carolina, voters elected Democratic Governor Roy Cooper in 2016 and 2020, although Trump narrowly carried the state at the top of the ticket. And this year, Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has struggled to gain traction in public polling of the gubernatorial race amid widespread concerns about his policies and rhetoric on abortion, families and other issues.
“There are people who want to help, who want to win, and who have the operations to do it. But there is a bridge that those people will not cross, and it seems that Donald Trump intends to cross it now,” said the Republican strategist from Georgia. “If he crosses that bridge with people like Laura Loomer, he won’t have the people he needs to win.”
“These anonymous sources have no idea what they’re talking about,” Trump spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said in response to the criticism.
“President Trump leads in Georgia and North Carolina because voters in both states are frustrated with Kamala’s inflation and open border policies — issues Americans trust President Trump with and will decide this election.” he added.
On Friday, Trump he tried to distance himself from Loomer“I don’t control Laura,” he told reporters at a press conference in California. Laura – she is a free spirit. Well, I don’t know. I mean, look, I can’t tell Laura what to do.”
When asked by NBC News after the press conference whether Trump was familiar with some of the conspiracy theories that Loomer was spreading, the former president said, “I don’t know that much about it. No, I don’t.”
He added: “I know he’s a big fan of the campaign, but I really don’t know.”
Loomer has spread unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about undocumented immigrants registering to vote and mass shootings that helped elect Democrats. During the Trump administration, he was is prohibited from some social media platforms for anti-Muslim posts.
Earlier this week, Loomer falsely claimed that during a presidential debate Harris was wearing audio headphones that helped him communicate with advisers on stage. The theory was widely debunked.
At the end of the day, Trump wrote On his Truth Social account that Loomer “does not work for the campaign. He is a private citizen and longtime supporter. I do not agree with his statements, but like millions of people who support me, he does not allow radical left Marxists and fascists to violently attack and smear me, even their Political Opponent M.A. “
Asked whether that statement was enough to distance the former president from Loomer, a second Trump ally said: “I think he should go further. It should be completely removed.”
“I won’t put up with it and I just can’t put up with his comments, I don’t want him anywhere near us. This is not what we are a party to,” the ally added.
Reached by text to NBC News, Loomer repeated his claim that Trump did not work for his campaign and blasted those who raised concerns about him, saying:[H]huh, instead of knocking on doors and campaigning in Georgia and North Carolina, they’re gossiping to the media? Gossiping is easier than working. I work every day to support Donald Trump. I spend over 19 hours a day rooting for Donald Trump, and I am dedicated to defeating him. Maybe they will do the same.”
Trump’s comments Friday came after Loomer spent days traveling with the former president It raised concerns among GOP lawmakers and strategists.
Earlier that day, Loomer made another statement about X that sparked new criticism. Just two days after the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks — a day he spent with Trump at 9/11 memorial services — he wrote, “23 years later and still so many unanswered questions,” alongside a video of Trump. In 2001, he asked if planes could hit the Twin Towers with enough force to knock them down.
He long-standing conspiracy theories about the 9/11 attacks, including that the attacks were an “inside job.”
The right-wing social media influencer has had several social media spats this week with Republican lawmakers like Greene of Georgia and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
Greene after Loomer’s post referring to the smell of curry answered himwrote, “This is horrible and extremely racist. It does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA. It does not represent President Trump. Such behavior can never be tolerated.”
The response prompted Loomer to publish a series of articles against Greene. He similarly attacked Graham after he publicly urged Trump to distance himself from Loomer.
Concerns about the former president’s closeness to Trump also grew during Tuesday night’s debate with Harris in Philadelphia, where he made unsubstantiated claims in Ohio about Haitian immigrants eating people’s pets.
The comments were based on conspiracy theories It originated on the Internet and spread to far-right circlesincluding on Loomer’s own social media account.