Who Is Laura Loomer? All About The Trump Insider Who Wants 'Dream Job' To Vet Student Visas
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Loomer has called for the deportation of Chinese President Xi Jinping's daughter as the US announced that it would 'aggressively' revoke visas of Chinese students
A far-right provocateur, conspiracy theorist, and Donald Trump's close ally who has called for the deportation of Chinese President Xi Jinping's daughter as the United States announced that it would 'aggressively" revoke visas of Chinese students—Laura Loomer is all this and more.
The American far-right MAGA activist hit the headlines on Thursday again when she threw her weight behind the Trump administration's efforts to tighten immigration controls and scrutinise international students.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X: 'The US will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields." In a statement, he added that the State Department will revise visa criteria to impose stricter scrutiny on all future applications from China and Hong Kong.
WHO IS LAURA LOOMER?
The 31-year-old Loomer first shot to the limelight through her far-right activism, putting forth her controversial views on Islam and her incendiary statements.
According to Firstpost, Loomer ran for US Congress in Florida's 21st district in 2020, winning the Republican primary. However, she lost the general election to Democrat Lois Frankel and her subsequent bid in 2022 too was unsuccessful.
Loomer is no stranger to controversies. Her anti-Islam and anti-immigration stance has left many divided—for instance, in 2018, she called herself a 'proud Islamophobe" and suggested the creation of a ride-sharing service that excludes Muslims.
Banned from social media platforms such as Twitter (now X), Facebook, and Instagram for her divisive comments, she quickly made a comeback to X after Elon Musk acquired it.
One of Laura Loomer's most controversial claims is her insistence that the 9/11 attacks were an 'inside job" carried out by the US government—a theory she has promoted frequently on social media, despite extensive evidence disproving it. At one point, she falsely connected the attacks to a comment made by then Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld about $2.3 trillion in unaccounted funds. However, Rumsfeld's remarks referred to inefficiencies in outdated accounting systems, not evidence of a conspiracy.
Loomer had also infamously tweeted that if then US vice-president Kamala Harris were elected, 'the White House will smell like curry" and that speeches would be 'facilitated via a call centre."
Despite her controversial persona, Loomer is considered a part of Trump's close coterie. Although she does not hold an official role in his campaign, Loomer has been a frequent presence at Trump events, including rallies and private meetings at his Mar-a-Lago resort and Bedminster golf club. She has also traveled with Trump on his campaign plane and attended significant events such as the 2024 presidential debate in Philadelphia and the September 11 commemorations.
Trump has publicly praised Loomer, describing her as a 'fantastic person" and a 'woman with courage," and has shared her content on his Truth Social platform. He has also acknowledged her as a 'very important person, politically," and commended her for her strong opinions.
Loomer has been actively involved in advocating for restrictive immigration policies, particularly targeting foreign students and workers. She has publicly appealed to Trump for a position to vet the social media profiles of international students, describing it as her 'dream job".
She has also been vocal in her opposition to the H-1B visa programme, which allows US employers to hire skilled foreign professionals. She has referred to Indian immigrants as 'third-world invaders" and criticised tech billionaires for exploiting the visa system for 'cheap labour".
Loomer has criticised proposals to issue green cards to foreign students who graduate from US colleges, arguing that such policies could undermine American workers. She has called for a halt to visa issuance until issues like homelessness among veterans are addressed and illegal immigration is curtailed.
Her latest comments on Jinping's daughter come amid rising US-China geopolitical tensions and reflect the US' broader agenda to restrict immigration, particularly targeting foreign students and skilled workers.
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