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Earlier this month, right-wing political activist Laura Loomer posted a video tasting a dog food product that she claimed came from “an amazing company” - one that has pushed MAGA ideals and is a favorite on the conservative-favored platform Rumble.
The product, a dog food topper, comes from a company called Pawsitive, which has ties to other companies that promote ideas such as anti-vaccine rhetoric and hypermasculinity, which are often associated with far-right conservatives.
In the video, Loomer informs viewers that the dog food supplement is “100 percent human grade” made from bison organs.
She positively highlights that it comes from “protected” Canadian bison so there are “no hormones” and “no vaccines given to the bison”.
“It tastes like meat,” Loomer said after sticking her hand in the bag and sprinkling a pinch of the dog food in her mouth. “It actually tastes good.”
It is unclear if Pawsitive paid Loomer to try the dog product or if she decided to do that on her own while promoting it.
The Independent has reached out to Pawsitive for comment.
The video, which received approximately one million views on X, sparked some conversation about the company behind the dog food product and how Loomer – a close confidant of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump – came to love it so much.
Pawsitive is a Rumble-exclusive brand, but its website indicates its parent company is Stardust Group, which is founded and operated by entrepreneur Foster Coulson, Vanity Fair was the first to report.
Stardust Group is behind several other Rumble-exclusive brands such as 5GFree, a company that sells supplements and badges which supposedly protect against electromagnetic field exposure. (The World Health Organization says that there’s no evidence that low-level electromagnetic field exposure is harmful.)
Other companies include 1175 Coffee, a free-speech promoting coffee brand, Unjected, a dating app for people who did not get Covid-19 vaccines and BeNaked, a supplement company that claims to be “A Celebration of True Manhood.”
The idea of “alpha males” or hypermasculinity is a popular concept among conservatives. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson released a documentary called The End of Men, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley wrote a book titled “Manhood: The Masculine Virtues America Needs.”
Elon Musk, who endorsed Trump and could have a spot in his administration, elevated concerns about social media platforms censoring conservative ideals. One of the reasons he claimed he purchased Twitter was to create a less censored platform. Since then, he’s found himself generating controversy with ideas he promotes. Recently, it was replacing government officials with “high status males.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who also endorsed Trump and is part of his presidential transition team, has long touted anti-vaccine opinions and spread misinformation about the pharmaceutical industry.
Though making pet food more bison-forward is not a platform of Trump allies, it’s unsurprising Loomer has teamed up with Pawsitive given its parent company’s history.
Loomer is a controversial figure in Trump’s orbit. She recently made racist statements about Vice President Kamala Harris that earned the ire of Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. But Trump has given Loomer a seat at his table, using her to help him prepare for the second presidential debate and traveling to events with her.
Her presence has escalated concerns within the Republican Party.