Laura Loomer, who dubs herself an “investigative journalist,” is in the news again amid reports that she is vetting Trump administration officials and even getting some fired for insufficient loyalty to his agenda.
Loomer has traveled closely with President Donald Trump for months and met with Vice President JD Vance in June, though the White House said that Loomer was not serving in an advisory role.
Several administration officials have either lost jobs or had promotions or nominations canceled after finding themselves in Loomer’s “crosshairs,” Politico reported earlier this week.
Loomer herself told the outlet she’s getting tips from officials and that she’s happy to hear about “disloyal appointees, disloyal staffers, and Biden holdovers.”
Some Republicans, however, hold that vetting is a normal process in any presidential administration, whether formally or informally.
“Laura is a staunch conservative, one of the best investigative journalists, and an avid fighter for the America First agenda,” Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) told the Washington Examiner. “No one has been a bigger supporter of President Trump’s policies, and she would be a great addition to the administration.”
Mills acknowledged that “many fear Laura’s talents and determination,” but said that her vetting and perseverance have “never deterred her from her love of country.”
Scott Jennings, a conservative commentator and rumored GOP Senate candidate, made a similar point about the typical vetting process in Washington.
“I actually don’t think it is all that unusual for a president to have people working for him, inside or outside the building, with information and opinions about appointments,” Jennings said. “I certainly did a lot of research on potential appointees when I worked for Bush 43 [President George W. Bush]. What the president chooses to do with that information is up to him.”
Yet Loomer herself is happy to play up her influence as vetter-in-chief.
“If I worked in the White House, I’d be shackled by the same rules and red tape that protect the very people I expose,” Loomer posted on X Friday. “I wouldn’t be able to shine a light on the rot inside the Federal Government or catch people like Maurene Comey hiding in plain sight.”
Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James Comey, is a Manhattan federal prosecutor fired by the Trump administration two weeks ago. Comey was notably involved in criminal cases against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
“In D.C., everyone’s knifing each other to climb the ladder,” Loomer added. “They tried to knife President Trump, and they have tried very hard to knife me too. But, when people in DC get cut, they talk and they come talk to me.”
Loomer did not respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.
She is certainly no stranger to controversy. Loomer once called the late-Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a “ghetto b****,” has said the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were an “inside job,” and claimed that if then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the 2024 election, the White House would “smell like curry.”
The full extent of her sway within the White House is debated, and it is unclear how close she is with Trump, according to a Republican strategist who spoke to the Washington Examiner.
“Laura Loomer has or is perceived to have Trump’s ear,” the strategist said. “The extent of her influence or her ability to actually get beyond [White House chief of staff] Susie Wiles is unknown. I don’t see a long line of people rushing to fill out the remaining posts that have yet to be appointed or hired for. Many people just don’t want to be subjected to her attacks.”
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Loomer has also sparred with elected Republicans such as Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), who said she “doesn’t have the faintest idea what she’s talking about” after Loomer claimed he was “pissed” about losing a bid to become the Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee.
As an elected official, Gimenez doesn’t have to worry about losing his job directly because of Loomer. But others have not been so lucky. Earlier this week, for example, Food and Drug Administration vaccine official Dr. Vinay Prasad left his position after Loomer branded him a “progressive, left-wing” figure.
The White House insists that top staffing, whether vetted by Loomer or not, remains a top priority so that Trump can enact his agenda as the elected president.
“It is not only appropriate, but critical for the administration to continue to recruit the most qualified and experienced staffers who are totally aligned with President Trump’s agenda to Make America Great Again,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said. “The results that this administration has already delivered for the American people — from peace deals to trade deals — prove that President Trump has assembled the best and brightest talent to put Americans and America First.”