If you've been paying attention to the rise of the far right on the internet over the last few years, you know the Laura Loomer name.
Loomer is one of this movement's most high profile figures — and one of its most controversial. She has described Islam as a "cancer of humanity" and said it should not allow Muslim candidates to hold office in America. She called herself a "stupid Islamophobe."
That behavior has led to Twitter , Facebook and Instagram banning Loomer —
Not to mention the Uber and Lyft Ride-Sharing systems. (In 2018, she tweeted that "somebody needs to create a non-Islamic Uber or Lyft form because I never want to support another Islamic immigrant driver.")
And as of Wednesday morning Loomer is the Republican nominee in the 21st District of Florida, which happens to include Mar-a - Lago resort of President Donald Trump.
In the general election, she won a six-way primary for the right to face Rep. Lois Frankel (D), raising over $1 million thanks to support from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, pardoned Trump ally Roger Stone and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.
Loomer ran in the field as Trumpiest candidate, venturing her confidence in the message of "law and order" from the President. (Loomer is very unlikely to enter Congress; the 21st District is strongly Democratic.)
Trump rewarded the help Tuesday night with a tweet venturing Loomer 's victory.
"Laura is going fine," he wrote. "You have a great chance against a Pelosi puppet!" he also replied to multiple accounts congratulating Loomer on her win, including that of Marjorie Taylor Greene, the GOP candidate in the 14th district of Georgia who openly backed QAnon's conspiracy theory and shared a range of anti-Islamic views.
Andrew Kaczynski noted just how stunning Loomer should be to have a presidential endorsement.
"Remarkable to see a president endorsing a candidate who said that Muslims should not be allowed to hold public office and call Islam 'a humanity cancer,'" he tweeted. "This would be a huge story in a normal administration but it will barely be mentioned."
Fully accept.
But the story goes beyond just a) winning Loomer, or b) embracing Trump.
Loomer 's primary victory comes hard on Greene 's win earlier this month in Georgia — as well as victories by far-right candidates in Oregon and Colorado, many of whom support QAnon or similar false conspiracy theories.
A victory for Loomer is not an exception. This is part of the leading edge of the transformation-or at least evolution-of the Republican Party into an group that has in its members provocateurs and conspiracy theorists.
None of that should be surprising since the party leader is both a provocateur and a conspiracy theorist himself. Recall that Trump's 2016 presidential campaign resulted in endorsing and spreading a disproved conspiracy theory about Barack Obama not being born in the US.
Trump not only provided cover for the world's Loomers and Greenes. He has — and continues to — vigorously support their candidatures and opinions.
That, indeed, is an existential challenge to the legitimacy of the broader, over a century and a half forged Republican Party. Because if the GOP is able not only to have Laura Loomer in its ranks but to support her — and her progressive views — then what exactly differentiates it from the Internet fever swamps' conspiracy theorists and anti-Islamic voices?
Loomer is one of this movement's most high profile figures — and one of its most controversial. She has described Islam as a "cancer of humanity" and said it should not allow Muslim candidates to hold office in America. She called herself a "stupid Islamophobe."
That behavior has led to Twitter , Facebook and Instagram banning Loomer —
Not to mention the Uber and Lyft Ride-Sharing systems. (In 2018, she tweeted that "somebody needs to create a non-Islamic Uber or Lyft form because I never want to support another Islamic immigrant driver.")
And as of Wednesday morning Loomer is the Republican nominee in the 21st District of Florida, which happens to include Mar-a - Lago resort of President Donald Trump.
In the general election, she won a six-way primary for the right to face Rep. Lois Frankel (D), raising over $1 million thanks to support from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, pardoned Trump ally Roger Stone and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.
Loomer ran in the field as Trumpiest candidate, venturing her confidence in the message of "law and order" from the President. (Loomer is very unlikely to enter Congress; the 21st District is strongly Democratic.)
Trump rewarded the help Tuesday night with a tweet venturing Loomer 's victory.
"Laura is going fine," he wrote. "You have a great chance against a Pelosi puppet!" he also replied to multiple accounts congratulating Loomer on her win, including that of Marjorie Taylor Greene, the GOP candidate in the 14th district of Georgia who openly backed QAnon's conspiracy theory and shared a range of anti-Islamic views.
Andrew Kaczynski noted just how stunning Loomer should be to have a presidential endorsement.
"Remarkable to see a president endorsing a candidate who said that Muslims should not be allowed to hold public office and call Islam 'a humanity cancer,'" he tweeted. "This would be a huge story in a normal administration but it will barely be mentioned."
Fully accept.
But the story goes beyond just a) winning Loomer, or b) embracing Trump.
Loomer 's primary victory comes hard on Greene 's win earlier this month in Georgia — as well as victories by far-right candidates in Oregon and Colorado, many of whom support QAnon or similar false conspiracy theories.
A victory for Loomer is not an exception. This is part of the leading edge of the transformation-or at least evolution-of the Republican Party into an group that has in its members provocateurs and conspiracy theorists.
None of that should be surprising since the party leader is both a provocateur and a conspiracy theorist himself. Recall that Trump's 2016 presidential campaign resulted in endorsing and spreading a disproved conspiracy theory about Barack Obama not being born in the US.
Trump not only provided cover for the world's Loomers and Greenes. He has — and continues to — vigorously support their candidatures and opinions.
That, indeed, is an existential challenge to the legitimacy of the broader, over a century and a half forged Republican Party. Because if the GOP is able not only to have Laura Loomer in its ranks but to support her — and her progressive views — then what exactly differentiates it from the Internet fever swamps' conspiracy theorists and anti-Islamic voices?