Donald Trump refused on Friday to condemn recent racist and conspiratorial comments from right-wing provocateur Laura Loomer, who traveled with him earlier this week to Tuesday night’s presidential debate and several 9/11 memorial events.

“Laura’s been a supporter of mine,” Trump told reporters at a press conference near Los Angeles, where he was pressed on concerns from Republican allies about his ongoing association with Loomer, who once declared herself a “proud Islamophobe” and has a long history of promoting ugly and extreme conspiracies.

  • EndOfLine@lemm.eeEnglish
    63·
    6 days ago

    “I don’t control Laura. Laura has to say what she wants,” Trump said. “I can’t tell Laura what to do.”

    If he can’t influence the actions of one of his supports that is physically near him, How does he expect to influence the actions of Putin, Zelenski, Netanyahu, and Hamas?

  • WatDabney@sopuli.xyz
    481·
    6 days ago

    As I’ve said a number of times now, I’m convinced that Trump can’t meaningfully recognize the difference between true and false and right and wrong. I think his mind has been so warped by his pathological and increasingly delusional narcissism that his standard for whether something is true or false or right or wrong is entirely subjective and entirely internalized - that, quite simply, if he believes it then it’s true and if he doesn’t believe it then it’s false, and if he wants it then it’s right and if he doesn’t want it then it’s wrong. That’s it - trapped in his self-serving delusions, he has no other basis on which to judge.

    So of course he’s defending Loomer - she tells him things he wants to hear, so in his deranged view, she tells him the truth. And since he’s visibly coming apart at the seams and on track to lose the election, she’s likely one of the few who are telling him things he wants to hear, so one of the few he trusts to tell him the “truth.”

    And it just now struck me, mostly because that all made me think of Hitler in his final days, and I have no idea now why it took so long because it suddenly seems so terribly obvious - Trump’s almost certainly a long time meth user, isn’t he?

    Yeah - that fits. That absolutely fits.

    • ultranaut@lemmy.world
      6·
      6 days ago

      There’s been rumors about him taking prescription stimulants since at least the 1980’s, and various allegations of him snorting Adderal on the set of his TV show. I would be surprised if he took street meth but maybe he has a desoxyn prescription.

      • WatDabney@sopuli.xyz
        2·
        5 days ago

        Yeah - I obviously don’t know, and it is possible that he’s just naturally and coincidentally so reminiscent of a tweaker, but still…

        It just clicked when I thought of it. It’s all there - the constant effortless and entirely self-serving dishonesty and avarice, the revolving door of obsessions, the paranoia and the specific focus on (perceived) loyalty vs. (perceived) betrayal…

        I’m not sure that it would be relevant anyway - the issue is who and what he is rather than how he ended up that way. Still though…

        • ultranaut@lemmy.world
          3·
          6 days ago

          I remember Trumps White House doctor also got caught handing out drugs like candy. I’m sure Trump took advantage, certainly lots of his staff did.

      • WatDabney@sopuli.xyz
        1·
        5 days ago

        Mmm… possibly. Though I did know one flabby tweaker, years ago. I have no idea how he managed it - maybe he was just flabby instead of obese?

        But yeah… as a general rule…

        And it is possible I guess that Trump naturally developed a personality that just coincidentally is a spot-on match for a tweaker.

        It’s just that thinking about Trump’s behavior of late, and particularly this thing with Loomer, put me so in mind of paranoid Hitler withdrawing to the bunker with Eva, and then it all just clicked.

  • moon@lemmy.ml
    35·
    6 days ago

    This is good. She continues to tweet insane shit and she has been confirmed to be the person who exposed him to some of the worst debate conspiracies like the eating pets stuff. He’s only going to look more unhinged and lose even harder with her in his ear

    • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
      81·
      5 days ago

      It’s not like it’s some grand accomplishment. Having sex with a lunatic that worships you is about the lowest bar possible.

      It’s also one the stupidest possible things to do, so that’s why people think it’s likely.

  • paddirn@lemmy.worldEnglish
    11·
    5 days ago

    That he’s so easily influenced by the people around him is just one more reason he’s a shitty person to be President. He’s very likely functionally illiterate, so his entire worldview comes solely from the videos he watches and the people he talks to. He only surrounds himself with ‘yes’ people who are likely only there because they flatter his ego and don’t challenge him on anything. And the kind of people willing to flatter Trump are likely either batshit insane themselves or hold even more contemptible views than he does.

    He’s an intellectual void that gets filled with the shitty ideas of those around him. There’s always this very direct line where you can trace some of the things he says right to a specific person or a segment on tv. There’s no processing or reflection or contemplation or anything, just garbage in, garbage out.

  • shoulderoforion@fedia.io
    182·
    6 days ago

    laura loomer and donald trump have dominated the headlines, for the simple reason people can’t stop posting about it. it’s their only plan. it’s how they keep harris and waltz below the fold, it’s their only fucking plan. stop helping them.

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
      181·
      6 days ago

      The difference is even MTG is telling Loomer to stop being so blatantly racist because it’s hurting trump

      Let that sink in.

    • vividspecter@lemm.ee
      11·
      6 days ago

      I’m not sure how this helps Trump. He’s not some upstart like in 2016 where people didn’t know that much about him and the publicity benefited him. All this is doing is solidifying the racist vote, which he already had locked in. The increasing craziness and utter stupidity is going to continue to peel off the slightly more reasonable, and the Democrats can sit back and let the Republicans tear themselves apart.

    • ultranaut@lemmy.world
      5·
      6 days ago

      If this is their plan it’s a really bad plan. Laura Loomer is not getting them votes, the more she is the face of their campaign the worse it gets for them.

  • Nougat@fedia.io
    13·
    6 days ago

    “I can’t tell Laura what to do.”

    Yes you can. You told her you wanted her to hang out with you and join you at a 9/11 memorial event.

  • BigMacHole@lemm.ee
    41·
    6 days ago

    But the Conservative Forums are telling me he’s getting FAR FAR AWAY from her?

  • TachyonTele@lemm.ee
    31·
    6 days ago

    This lady reminds me of the witch in game of thrones that was part of that brothers camp.