Trump Defends Associating With 9/11 Truther Laura Loomer

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stood up Friday on behalf of a high-profile supporter who has drawn fire from other Republicans for embracing conspiracy theories and making racist comments.

Conservative personality Laura Loomer accompanied Trump on Wednesday to a ceremony at Ground Zero in New York to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, which killed almost 3,000 people.

Two days later, Loomer posted on social media, along with a clip of TV coverage of 9/11: “The American people deserve to know the entire truth. Not just what our lying government chose to tell us.”

She then reposted that message with another one , “Do NOT google Building 7,” a reference to a conspiracy theory that a building next to the World Trade Center towers that caught fire in the attack and collapsed was instead brought down by unexplained factors.

Asked about Loomer, Trump told reporters at a press conference in Los Angeles on Friday, “Laura’s been a supporter of mine, just like a lot of people are supporters.”

“I don’t control Laura. Laura has to say what she wants. She’s a free spirit,” Trump said.

Loomer’s newly ascendant public profile has caused concern among some of Trump’s Republican colleagues, who have publicly worried her reputation for spreading falsehoods will reflect badly on the former president.

“Laura Loomer is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans. A DNC plant couldn’t do a better job than she is doing to hurt President Trump’s chances of winning re-election. Enough,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) posted Friday .

Even Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), the right-wing firebrand who once pondered on Facebook if wildfires were being