2024 ELECTION
Trump allies worry his ties to far-right activist Laura Loomer could cost him Georgia and North Carolina

The former president's allies say Trump needs to put distance between himself and Loomer — or the association risks alienating key groups of voters in battleground states.

Sep. 15, 2024, 5:00 AM EDT
By Kristen Welker and Alexandra Marquez

Donald Trump allies are worried that the former president’s ties to right-wing activist Laura Loomer could cost him votes in key battleground states. … The allies told NBC News that there are “real concerns” about Loomer and Trump’s association, especially in the wake of her racist social media post about Vice President Kamala Harris this week, where she wrote that the “White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center” if Harris wins the presidential election.

“She has to go. Laura Loomer cannot stay. She just can’t. She is unapologetic,” one Trump ally told NBC News, adding: “This woman attacked the vice president of the United States in such a racist manner. It was appalling and she hasn’t apologized.”

Several allies, who were granted anonymity to speak candidly, warned that Loomer’s rhetoric about Harris could hurt Trump’s standing with critical voters, particularly in the key states of Georgia and North Carolina, which have large Indian American and Hindu populations.

A second Trump ally told NBC News that Trump has been directly warned about this “by people in Georgia and North Carolina.” … The former president was told, “If you don’t fix this, it will be a problem,” the ally added.

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