Laura Loomer’s once rising influence inside Donald Trump’s circle may already be slipping. The far-right activist, who built her reputation on conspiracy theories and relentless loyalty tests, quickly became a key player in Trump’s second term. Her so-called background checks for MAGA purity have reportedly helped push Trump to remove dozens of officials from his administration.
But some inside the White House are getting increasingly uneasy with how much attention she’s drawing. A source told the Financial Times that Loomer’s influence has been blown out of proportion, comparing her to “a fly that keeps getting in your face and keeps coming back, no matter how much you swat it away.” They added that while Loomer might have claimed a few wins, her target Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, is still beyond her reach.
Loomer, 32, has brushed off her critics, chalking their complaints up to jealousy. “It’s pretty incredible that as a civilian I’m uncovering this information without any funding or any type of government clearance,” she told the FT. “And yet people who work for the president continue to drop the ball as it relates to … vetting.”
Trump himself has given Loomer a mix of praise and distance. He has met with her in the Oval Office and fired more than a dozen officials she flagged since March. But he’s also downplayed her role, saying he only listens to her “sometimes.” Earlier this month, he called her a “very nice person,” despite her history as a self-described Islamophobe and 9/11 truther who has clashed with other Trump allies, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Still, her limits are starting to show. Loomer tried and failed to have Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushed out of Trump’s administration, or as she branded it, “Loomered.” Around the same time, she persuaded Trump to push out FDA regulator Vinay Prasad after digging up old social media posts she said proved he was anti-MAGA. But within days, Prasad was reinstated, thanks in part to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Her access has also hit roadblocks in other ways. In June, she was reportedly denied entry to the VIP section at the Kennedy Center where Trump and Melania were attending a performance of Les Misérables. Loomer has also been unsuccessful in securing a White House press pass.
For now, she still enjoys a direct line to the president, but her stumbles suggest that her role in shaping Trump’s inner circle may not be as ironclad as it seemed just months ago.