Laura Loomer is becoming increasingly prominent in Donald Trump’s circle.

Former US President Donald Trump marked the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks with memorial stops in New York City and Pennsylvania on Wednesday. However, his tributes were overshadowed by the presence of far-right figure Laura Loomer, who has a history of promoting conspiracy theories about the 2001 attacks and posting anti-Muslim content on social media.

Loomer, who was banned from Twitter (now X) for her inflammatory posts before being reinstated by Elon Musk, has previously suggested that the 9/11 attacks were an “inside job.”

When asked why Loomer was part of Trump’s entourage, a campaign aide dodged the question, telling CNN that the day was about “the souls who are no longer with us, their families and the heroes who courageously rose up to save their fellow Americans on that fateful day.”

In a telephone interview, Loomer defended her presence at the memorial. “I don’t see the problem with me going to a 9/11 memorial,” she told CNN. “People who greeted President Trump were happy to see me and thanked me for coming.” She added that she has never denied the role of Islamic terrorists in the attacks, and she reiterated her history of raising concerns about “Islamic terrorism in America.”

Laura Loomer has been increasingly close to Donald Trump. There are reports that she has access to his personal phone number and regularly attends his events.

The controversial figure was also spotted getting off Trump’s private plane in Philadelphia ahead of his debate against Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Later that night, Trump referenced an unsubstantiated rumor about Haitian migrants that Loomer had also promoted online.

Some of her other provocative social media posts even preceded Trump’s own public statements, suggesting she may have influenced his rhetoric.

This association is consistent with Trump’s history of embracing conspiracy theorists, dating back to his promotion of the “birther” conspiracy theory about former President Barack Obama’s birthplace.

Loomer’s potential influence on Trump also recently became apparent when Trump questioned Kamala Harris’s race during an interview. Some sources attributed the talking points to Loomer.

In her defense, Loomer told CNN, “I don’t think it’s racist to make fun of the fact that Kamala Harris is trying to appease every group of people she encounters in an attempt to convince them that she has the same identity,” but she did not confirm whether she influenced Trump’s comments.