Who is Laura Loomer? Donald Trump's ‘ally' who would love to find ‘excuse to block' foreign students
As US President Donald Trump's administration moved to block enrollment of foreign students at Harvard University, reports suggested that it is now expanding social media vetting of foreign students.
'The Trump administration is weighing requiring all foreign students applying to study in the United States to undergo social media vetting,' Politico reported earlier.
Meanwhile, US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said, "...we use every tool in our tool chest to vet anyone coming in who wants to come into this country..."
Amid such claims, Laura Loomer said that 'vetting on the social media accounts of foreign students...Sounds like a dream job for me.'
She wrote on X, 'The White House is considering doing vetting on the social media accounts of foreign students. Sounds like a dream job for me. I would love to research foreign students all day and find an excuse to block them from coming into our country based on their radicalism. Sign me up.'
Laura Loomer is a right-wing extremist and political influencer known for her controversial views and "incendiary" social media presence.
Loomer, in her early 30s, is a Florida activist and unsuccesfull political candidate who once described herself as a 'proud Islamophobe'. The Guardian described her as "the white nationalist conspiracy theorist."
As per the report, Loomer had spread conspiracy theories about mass shootings, including the Parkland school shooting in Florida. She is known for claiming the 9/11 attacks were an inside job.
Loomer was also banned on some social media networks because of anti-Muslim and other remarks. According to reports, she has dubbed herself a 'proud Islamophobe".
Earlier, she had said the 'White House would smell like curry' if Kamala Harris, who is of Indian heritage, were elected as the US President.
Loomer sparred online with top Trump adviser Elon Musk over skilled workforce visas, the Associated Press reported. She has repeatedly argued that the administration's hires are being improperly vetted.
Loomer also has a podcast called Loomer Unleashed on Rumble. It's a platform known for streaming far-right figures.
Loomer has said it's her job to keep Trump on track. She has flitted in and out of the president's inner circle and claimed to be responsible for the firings of National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and other aides, the Associated Press reported.
She twice unsuccessfully ran for Congress, in 2020 and 2022.
Trump had endorsed Loomer in 2020, when she had unsuccessfully ran for the House in 2020, winning a Republican primary but losing the general election that year to Democrat Lois Frankel. Later, in 2022, she switched districts, narrowly losing another primary.
In 2023, Trump praised Loomer, saying, 'You are a very opinionated lady, I have to tell you. And in my opinion, I like that.' Trump once also called her a 'strong person' and a 'free spirit.
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