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Lindsey Graham warns Trump to stop associating with ‘toxic’ Laura Loomer
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Lindsey Graham warns Trump to stop associating with ‘toxic’ Laura Loomer

Sen. Lindsey Graham on Thursday became the latest Republican to censure Laura Loomer, the far-right influencer who has traveled with former President Donald Trump in recent weeks.

Graham, the longtime Republican from South Carolina, has both clashed with and aligned with the former president in the past. On Thursday, he urged the president to abandon Loomer, whom he called “toxic.”

Loomer has been on the fringes of the extended MAGA universe for years, but has been spotted with the former president more often lately. On Tuesday, she was seen exiting Trump’s private jet as it landed for the debate in Philadelphia.

The far-right internet personality, who previously called 9/11 an “inside job,” also accompanied the president to commemorations in Manhattan and Pennsylvania on the anniversary of the attacks on Wednesday.

Graham, in turn, was angered by Loomer’s inclusion in Trump’s entourage during the major series of events, all aimed at boosting his support among undecided voters.

“I mean, she basically called for Kellyanne Conway’s daughter to hang herself,” Graham told the Huffington Post. “I don’t know how this all happened, but no, I don’t think it helps. I don’t think it helps at all.”

He reiterated the criticism in a separate interview with the The Washington Postand called Loomer’s previous statements “more than disturbing,” adding: “I hope this issue gets resolved. I think we need to talk about things that people are concerned about, and this issue doesn’t help matters, I think.”

The most recent rift between Loomer and more mainstream Republican figures began when Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a staunch Trump supporter who was originally elected in 2020, cited a days-old post by Loomer in which she criticized Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris using ethnic stereotypes.

Greene, who has been criticized in the past for racist and xenophobic statements, called Loomer’s comments “appalling and extremely racist.”

Responding to Graham with a message on X, formerly Twitter, Loomer claimed the senator “has never been loyal to President Trump.”

“He was booed in his own state at a TRUMP RALLEY and was booed off the stage for being DISLOADABLE to Trump and the American people,” Loomer wrote, referencing the poor reception the senator received at a 2023 rally.