Sen. Lindsey Graham is among the Republicans warning Donald Trump to break from Laura Loomer after the far-right influencer was seen palling around with the former president before his debate against Kamala Harris and at 9/11 ceremonies in New York City and Pennsylvania.
Loomer, 31, a self-described “proud Islamaphobe” who has called the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, an “inside job,” set off a firestorm of controversy earlier this week when she attacked the vice president’s Indian ancestry in a posting on X.
“If @KamalaHarris wins, 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,” Loomer wrote.
Graham, an ally to the former president, called for Trump, 78, to separate himself from Loomer’s toxic rhetoric.
“We have policy disagreements but … I mean, she actually called for Kellyanne Conway’s daughter to hang herself,” the South Carolina Republican told HuffPost. “I don’t know how this all happened, but, no, I don’t think it’s helpful. I don’t think it’s helpful at all.”
“I think what [Loomer] said about Kamala Harris and the White House is abhorrent, but it’s deeper than that,” he continued.
“I mean, you know, some of the things she’s said about Republicans and others is disturbing. I mean, to call for someone’s daughter to hang themselves. Yeah, no, I think that the president would serve himself well to make sure this doesn’t become a bigger story,” Graham said.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia who has been embroiled in a bitter feud with Loomer since last year, said the provocateur’s posting about Harris doesn’t work for the MAGA crowd and called for her to remove it from social media.
“This is appalling and extremely racist. It does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA. This does not represent President Trump. This type of behavior should not be tolerated ever,” she said.
Loomer responded by calling Greene a “raging anti semite.”
Graham said he sides with Greene.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene is right. I don’t say that a lot,” Graham said.
The senator’s office reiterated his concerns that Loomer’s influence could doom Trump’s campaign in a race that could come down to a few thousand voters in the swing states.
“Senator Graham is working tirelessly day and night to help re-elect President Trump,” Graham communications director Taylor Reidy told NBC News in a statement. “This race is very much ours to lose. Ms. Loomer is a stain on society. There should be no place of prominence in this country for her vile, mean-spirited, destructive, racist rhetoric and views.”
Greene echoed those concerns when she talked to reporters at the U.S. Capitol.
“This is such an important election. I don’t think that she has the experience or the right mentality to advise,” she said.
“I do know this that her rhetoric and her tone does not match the base, it does not match MAGA, it does not match most Republicans I know,” Greene added. “And I’m really denouncing it. I’m over it.”
Loomer’s presence Wednesday with Trump at the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks raised eyebrows among Republicans.
“Everybody’s stunned that he would bring her down on his plane to the debate but even more stunned that she would be riding with him on the 9/11 anniversary. That kind of stuff will create a distraction you can’t overcome,” a Republican senator told NBC News.
Loomer fired back at Graham on X, attacking his loyalty to Trump and questioning his sexual orientation.
“Lindsey Graham @LindseyGrahamSC has never been loyal to President Trump. He got booed in his own state at a TRUMP RALLY and was booed off stage because he is DISLOYAL to Trump and the American people. He probably shouldn’t be giving out advice to Donald Trump,” she said.
“PS: When is Lindsay coming out of the closet? We all know you’re Gay, Lindsey…. And that’s ok. It’s ok. It’s 2024. There’s nothing wrong with Gay people,” she continued.
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