Sen. Thom Tillis blasts Trump on 'crazy conspiracy theorist' MAGA influencer

North Carolina’s senior U.S. senator and the chairman of the state Republican Party offered starkly different assessments Friday on former President Donald Trump’s recent travel with far-right activist and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer.

A former congressional candidate in Florida who also worked for several right-wing activist organizations, Loomer has described herself as “pro-white nationalism” and a “proud Islamophobe.” She has falsely claimed that multiple school shootings were staged and has previously endorsed claims that the Sept. 11 attacks were “an inside job.”

Loomer, who has gained notoriety through frequent racist, homophobic and offensive social media posts and public stunts, accompanied Trump at the recent presidential debate. Her presence alongside the former president has sparked alarm and pushback among some prominent Republicans.

Among them is North Carolina’s U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis.

“Laura Loomer is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans,” Tillis wrote on social media Friday. “A DNC plant couldn’t do a better job than she is doing to hurt President Trump’s chances of winning re-election. Enough.”

Tillis’ comments echo those of his GOP colleague U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who told HuffPost on Thursday that Loomer’s history was “really toxic” and that her presence isn’t “helpful at all.”

The chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, however, espoused a different view. Asked about Tillis’ comments on CNN this afternoon, Jason Simmons said Trump was “intellectually curious” and received input from “various individuals.”

“What we continue to see is President Trump listens to a number of individuals, not just one individual that Sen. Tillis might want to highlight,” Simmons said. “He receives input from various individuals, and as he’s on the ground, he’s constantly asking, what’s going on, what are people seeing, how are they feeling? And looking for that input. Continuing to solicit that advice, not just from a single source, but from everybody. That’s what’s always made President Trump very intellectually curious.”

Simmons, pressed by host Dana Bash, declined to say whether he agreed with Tillis and didn’t answer whether he was “comfortable” with Trump listening to Loomer.

“What I would continue to highlight is what we see from President Trump, where he continues to highlight a message of hope and optimism for our country,” Simmons said.

Simmons, an alumnus of the Trump campaigns in 2016 and 2020, was elected to chair the state party in May after former chair Michael Whatley was named co-chair of the Republican National Committee. Trump endorsed Simmons prior to the party vote.

Tillis has publicly differed with Trump on multiple occasions previously, but has also backed down at times — most notably on immigration policy — when pushed by Trump loyalists in the GOP. In June of 2023, delegates to the North Carolina Republican Convention voted to censure Tillis for working with Democratic senators to find common ground on issues like LGBTQ+ rights, immigration and gun violence.

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