Republicans are blaming the influence of Laura Loomer, a rightwing conspiracy theorist, for this week’s botched debate performance by Donald Trump, which included the former president repeating a bizarre and unfounded claim that pet cats and dogs were being eaten by Haitian immigrants.
Loomer flew with Trump on his private plane to Tuesday’s debate in Philadelphia and has been identified as a key promoter of the pets rumour, which has been dismissed as false by authorities in Springfield, Ohio, where the practice was alleged to have been taking place.
However, Trump amplified it in a moment that has become emblematic of his erratic showing in the debate with Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee.
“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” Trump claimed during a debate segment on immigration. “They’re eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”
When the ABC debate moderator David Muir informed him that the story had been debunked, Trump stood by the claim, saying he had seen it “on television”.
The rumour had also been disseminated by JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, who in the aftermath of the debate justified doing so.
Nevertheless, following the event scrutiny has turned to the supposed role of Loomer. The Semafor website quoted an unnamed source close to Trump’s campaign as saying they were “100%” concerned about Loomer’s sway over the Republican nominee.
“Regardless of any guardrails the Trump campaign has put on her, I don’t think it’s working,” the source said.
Trump this year proposed giving Loomer an official role on his campaign, but the idea was resisted by staffers.
Loomer, who styles herself as an “investigative journalist”, last year promoted a conspiracy theory alleging that 9/11 was an”inside job”. On Wednesday she posted an unfounded allegation that Harris had worn earphones disguised as earrings during the debate.
In a sign of resentment among Trump loyalists over her supposed influence, the far-right Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene attacked her as “racist” on Wednesday over an earlier post in which she had said the White House would smell of curry if Harris – who has Indian heritage – was elected.
“If @KamalaHarris wins, the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center and the American people will only be able to convey their feedback through a customer satisfaction survey at the end of the call that nobody will understand,” Loomer wrote.
“This is appalling and extremely racist,” posted Greene, who herself has faced past accusations of racism. “It does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA. This does not represent President Trump.”
While Trump continues to claim in the face of widespread counter-opinion to have “won” Tuesday’s debate, strategists are struggling to explain why he ignored advice in preparation sessions to focus on Harris’s policies and record in the Biden administration, while resisting her attempts to bait him.
Dennis Lennox, a Republican consultant, told Semafor that Loomer’s presence was not the only factor affecting Trump’s performance.
“Trump lost the debate because of his performance, or lack thereof,” he said. “That’s what happens when you wing it, live in the Fox News-X bubble, and rely upon Matt Gaetz [the far-right Florida Congress member who helped with debate preparation], let alone Laura Loomer.”
