Conservative activist Laura Loomer has expressed her gratitude to President Donald Trump after he fired at least three officials from the White House National Security Council (NSC) on Thursday.
The dismissals took place after Loomer told Trump the officials were disloyal, CNN reported. While the president praised Loomer, he denied her involvement in the decision when speaking to reporters onboard Air Force One.
On X, formerly Twitter, Loomer thanked Trump for his remarks, adding, “I will always have your back.”
Speaking with Newsweek, NSC spokesperson Brian Hughes said, “NSC doesn’t comment on personnel matters.” Newsweek contacted Loomer for comment on Friday via the inquiry form on her official website outside regular office hours.
What To Know
On Thursday, Trump fired Thomas Boodry, the NSC’s senior director for legislative affairs; David Feith, the agency’s senior director for technology and national security; and Brian Walsh, the NSC’s director of intelligence, CNN reported, citing “three sources familiar with the move.”
Speaking with the network, one source said the firings were a direct result of Loomer’s recommendations, which she presented to the president during an Oval Office meeting on Wednesday, and that her complete list included about a dozen people.
On Air Force One, Trump praised Loomer while speaking with reporters but denied that she was behind the NSC firings.
“Laura Loomer is a very good patriot,” Trump said. “She’s a very strong person, and I saw her yesterday for a little while. She makes recommendations of names of people, and sometimes I listen to those recommendations, like I do with everybody. I listen to everybody, and then I make a decision.”
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Trump added that Loomer “recommended certain people for jobs” and suggested people to fire.
However, when asked if she had “anything to do with the NSC aides who were ousted,” the president replied, “No, not at all.”
Loomer shared a clip of Trump’s remarks, broadcast by Fox News, on her X account, adding: “It’s an honor, President Trump. Thank you. I will always have your back.
“I will be continuing my vetting audit of the Trump administration and will continue submitting my findings to President Trump for review.
“I’ve always said there is a vetting crisis, and I’m grateful President Trump acted on my concerns and investigative findings. I will keep working hard to support him and his administration.”
Trump has faced calls to fire his National Security Adviser Mike Waltz over his role in a Signal group chat discussion around U.S. strikes on Houthi militants in Yemen that inadvertently included Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.
Who Is Laura Loomer?
Loomer, a conservative activist originally from Arizona, first shot to public attention in June 2017. While working for the outlet Rebel Media, she disrupted a performance of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in New York’s Central Park that had reimagined Trump as the Roman dictator.
During her career, Loomer has attracted attention with provocative comments. She has described Islam as a “cancer on society” and shared a social media post claiming the 9/11 attacks were an “insider job.” During the 2024 presidential election campaign, Loomer wrote on X that if Harris, who has Indian heritage, won “the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center.”
On X, Loomer has 1.6 million followers. She was previously barred from the platform but was reinstated after tech billionaire Elon Musk purchased it in 2022.
How Does Loomer Know Trump?
Loomer is a long-standing Trump supporter, and she received his endorsement during unsuccessful runs for Congress in 2020 and 2022 in South Florida.
According to Time magazine, she was invited to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence after launching attacks on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who challenged Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
In September, Loomer joined Trump at two 9/11 memorial events, sparking controversy as she had previously shared a conspiracy theory concerning the attacks.
How Have Republicans Responded to Loomer?
Loomer is a divisive figure within the Republican Party. In September, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina described her on X as a “crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans.”
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a loyal Trump ally, has accused Loomer of making “appalling and extremely racist” social media posts.
However, Trump has repeatedly praised Loomer, previously calling her a “strong person” and “free spirit.”
What Happens Next
Loomer has indicated on social media that she intends to continue monitoring Trump administration officials for loyalty, writing on X on Friday: “We need to protect President Trump. Vetting matters.”
