Laura Loomer, a close ally of Donald Trump, told a white nationalist conference in 2022 that she considered herself a “white advocate”, according to a recording obtained by the Guardian. The comments were made at the American Renaissance conference, which the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as a venue where “racist ‘intellectuals’ rub shoulders with Klansmen, neo-Nazis and other white supremacists”.
Loomer has faced scrutiny after accompanying Trump to the presidential debate on Tuesday and posting a series of racist tweets aimed at Kamala Harris. The controversy intensified following Trump’s poor debate performance, which some observers have linked to his recent closeness to Loomer.
In her speech, Loomer said: “I consider myself to be a white advocate and I openly campaigned for the United States Congress as a white advocate.” She blamed traditional and social media companies, as well as the Republican party, for her primary loss in Florida’s 11th district in August 2022.
Loomer also criticised the Republican party for focusing on Hispanic and Black voters, saying they had “made such an effort this year to spend hundreds of millions of dollars … to get the Hispanic vote pushing to get the Black vote”. She expressed hope for a future third party, stating that “the Republican party is no longer rightwing enough for me”.
The revelation of Loomer’s comments is likely to fuel further controversy around Trump’s relationship with her, as it adds to a long list of extremist remarks by the podcaster. In a separate podcast appearance in March 2022, Loomer thanked Jared Taylor, the conference organiser, for his “white advocacy”.
