Laura Loomer: Who is the far-right activist accompanying Trump on his campaign trail?

Travelling with Donald Trump on his campaign trail in recent days is right-wing activist Laura Loomer who posted last year that 9/11 was an "inside job".

The 31-year-old provocateur and influencer has joined the Republican nominee in New York and Pennsylvania as Trump commemorated the anniversary of the attacks, and has accompanied him to several campaign events, including Tuesday's debate.

Born in Arizona and beginning her career in journalism, she has become one of Trump's biggest advocates on social media and is widely recognised for her anti-Muslim rhetoric and conspiracy theories.

So who is Loomer and how did she get so close to Trump? ITV News explains.

Loomer has made a career out of courting controversy.

Rising out of the radical right-wing online ecosystem, she has regularly tested the willingness of internet companies to enforce their terms of service.

She once described herself as a “proud Islamophobe” and tweeted in 2018 that “someone needs to create a non Islamic form of Uber or Lyft because I never want to support another Islamic immigrant driver.”

She was eventually banned from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

She twice ran for Congress in her home state of Florida, including once to represent Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago, almost exclusively campaigning on her allegiance to the former president. She lost both races.

Her unyielding loyalty to Trump was on full display during the GOP primary, when she heckled Florida Gov Ron DeSantis at public appearances with a bullhorn and spread unfounded claims about his wife’s cancer diagnosis online.

How did she become close with Trump?

Loomer’s stepped-up presence in Trump’s entourage comes as he has made a number of staff changes in recent weeks.

This includes bringing back veterans of his 2016 and 2020 campaigns, like former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, known for the mantra: “Let Trump be Trump.”

Some Trump allies would prefer the former president to distance himself from Loomer, but Trump has welcomed her as a semi-regular presence in recent months.

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