Trump ally Laura Loomer identifies as 'white advocate' in speech at White Nationalist Conference

Loomer has been under scrutiny recently after being spotted accompanying Trump on a flight to the presidential debate.

A close ally of Donald Trump, Laura Loomer, told a white nationalist conference in 2022 that she identified as a “white advocate,” according to a recording of her speech obtained by the Guardian.

Loomer has been under increased scrutiny recently after being spotted accompanying Trump on a flight to the presidential debate on Tuesday, followed by a series of racist tweets targeting Kamala Harris.

This sparked a political uproar after Trump’s poor debate performance, with Harris emerging as the clear victor. Trump’s comments, particularly his false claims about Haitian immigrants in Ohio eating pets, triggered widespread outrage and ridicule.

Some analysts have partly attributed Trump’s lackluster debate showing to his growing association with Loomer, who was also seen standing alongside him at the 9/11 commemorations earlier this week.

The disclosure of Loomer’s remarks about being a white advocate is expected to heighten the controversy surrounding Trump’s ties to Loomer, especially since these comments are just the latest in a series of extremist statements made by the podcaster and self-described journalist.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) reported on her attendance at the American Renaissance conference at the time, but her speech had not been closely examined until now.

According to the SPLC, the American Renaissance conference is a gathering where “racist ‘intellectuals’ mix with Klansmen, neo-Nazis, and other white supremacists.”

Loomer addressed the conference in November 2022, following her loss in the Republican primary for Florida’s conservative 11th district in August. To the applause of the audience, Loomer said: “I consider myself to be a white advocate and I openly campaigned for the United States Congress as a white advocate.”

In addition to her claim of being a “white advocate,” Loomer’s speech centered on her frustrations with traditional and social media companies, as well as the Republican party, whom she blamed for her electoral defeat.

She alleged that during her campaign, “local TV stations would actually not allow me to have a congressional debate even though every other congressional candidate was able to have a televised debate in their district, because they called me a white supremacist.”