Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday sought to distance himself from far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, whose presence on the campaign trail drew rebukes from both Mr Trump's allies and the White House, but he did not disavow her.
In a statement released on Friday, Mr Trump said he did not agree with Ms Loomer's past statements, but he still welcomed her support. Mr Trump made clear that she does not work for his campaign, even though Loomer travelled on his plane for much of the week.
Loomer, who commands a following on X of 1.2 million people, previously suggested the September 11th, 2001, attacks were an inside job by sharing a video last year on X that promoted that conspiracy theory. She has since changed her position and told CNN in an interview published on Thursday that the attacks were carried out by "Islamic terrorists".
Earlier in the day, Mr Trump was asked about Loomer during a press conference at his Southern California golf club.
“She is a strong person, she’s got strong opinions,” Mr Trump said, calling her a ”free spirit".
Later on Friday, at a rally in Las Vegas, Mr Trump said he had heard that Democratic rival Kamala Harris had used a secret earpiece during their Tuesday debate in Philadelphia, a baseless conspiracy theory that Loomer has promoted on X.
Loomer showed up at Mr Trump's debate on Tuesday and then in New York on Wednesday to commemorate the September 11th attacks.
She sparked fierce blowback when she posted on X earlier this week that if Ms Harris, who is of Indian descent, won the November 5th election, "the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center".
'Crazy conspiracy theorist'
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre denounced Loomer’s remarks as “racist poison” and criticised Mr Trump for associating with her.
Several prominent Trump-supporting Republicans, including US representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and US senators Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis, also denounced Loomer after her comment about Ms Harris.
Mr Tillis wrote on X on Friday that Loomer "is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans".
During Mr Trump's press conference in California, Loomer was busily promoting his remarks on X and making incendiary comments about immigrants who enter the US illegally.
Afterward, she posted: "I'm simply a ride or die supporter of President Trump." In a separate post on Friday, she said the Republicans attacking her were jealous that they were not with Mr Trump on his plane.
Loomer, a Floridian who has twice unsuccessfully run for Congress, has a long history of expressing anti-Muslim sentiment.
Her views caused her then-Twitter account to be banned, a decision that was reversed after Elon Musk bought the company, since renamed X.
