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Trump attends 9/11 event with far-right activist who spread conspiracy theory about tragedy
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Trump attends 9/11 event with far-right activist who spread conspiracy theory about tragedy

Donald Trump attended a 9/11 memorial on Wednesday, along with a far-right activist who is spreading the false narrative that the terrorist attack was “an inside job.”

Laura Loomer, a Trump ally, joined him at a firehouse in lower Manhattan, where he and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, met and took photos with firefighters. Some of the firefighters died responding to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Throughout the day Wednesday, Loomer posted videos on social media documenting Trump’s visits to commemorate 9/11. She also attended the presidential debate on Tuesday night and traveled on Trump’s plane.

Just last year, Loomer posted a lengthy message on X featuring a video falsely claiming that “9/11 was an inside job!”

Loomer did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday evening about her meeting with Trump and whether her views on 9/11 have changed.

In a lengthy message on X after NBC News reached out for comment, Loomer said, “To the many reporters calling me today obsessively asking me to talk to them, the answer is no.”

“I’m not sure why this is so hard for people to understand, but I believe in unconditional loyalty to those who deserve it,” she said in her post. “And there is no one more deserving of our loyalty and unwavering support than Donald Trump.”

NBC News asked the Trump campaign for more information about the decision to have Loomer travel with Trump, the extent of her conversations with him and whether the campaign knew she was spreading 9/11 conspiracy theories before inviting her to travel with Trump.

The campaign did not respond, but instead issued a statement about Trump’s 9/11 anniversary.

“Today, President Trump put politics aside and stood with Kamala Harris and Joe Biden to honor those who lost their lives during the worst terrorist attack in our country’s history,” a campaign official said. “This day was about none other than the souls who are gone, their families, and the heroes who courageously rose to save their fellow Americans on that fateful day.”

Harris’ campaign team declined to comment.

Loomer has a history of promoting various conspiracy theories. She said last week that school shootings are allowed to benefit Democrats. She has promoted conspiracy theories about undocumented immigrants registering to vote in November, and she has touted the unsubstantiated story about Haitian immigrants eating cats. She has falsely said that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are in an “arranged relationship” to “influence the 2024 election,” among other falsehoods.

Loomer’s close ties to Trump do not appear to be going down well with all of his allies.

On Wednesday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, called on Loomer to remove an “extremely racist” post targeting Vice President Kamala Harris.

“This is abhorrent and extremely racist. It does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA,” Greene, a fellow Trump ally, said Wednesday night on X. “This does not represent President Trump. This type of behavior should never be tolerated. @LauraLoomer should remove this.”

In a post on Sunday, Loomer went on a racist tirade against Harris, saying that if she wins, “the White House will smell like curry and White House speeches will be routed through a call center and the American people will only be able to provide their feedback via a customer satisfaction survey at the end of the call that no one will understand.”

Harris is the first person of Indian descent to be nominated for president by a major party. She is also the first black woman to be nominated by a major party.

Following Greene’s tweet, Loomer attacked her in a series of messages, adding that she would not delete the first message.

Greene has promoted anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and made controversial comments about the Holocaust, comparing mask mandates to the Holocaust before apologizing. She has also previously expressed support for the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon and has been criticized for a series of racist comments. She has used derogatory language in referring to George Floyd, a black man killed by Minneapolis police, calling him “Convicted felon George Floyd” and saying Democrats “worshiped” him.