FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 2
Contact: Logan Smith
[email protected]
202-709-8825
Bend the Arc on Lara Trump campaigning for “proud Islamophobe” Laura Loomer
WASHINGTON – Bend the Arc: Jewish Action released the following statement on Wednesday in response to Trump campaign senior adviser Lara Trump campaigning for “proud Islamophobe” and Congressional candidate Laura Loomer:
“Make no mistake, by campaigning with Laura Loomer the Trump campaign is openly endorsing Loomer’s history of promoting bigotry and conspiracy theories,” said Dove Kent, Senior Strategy Officer of Bend the Arc: Jewish Action. “The Trump campaign is making it clear that no one is too extreme for their support, even someone who hangs out with white nationalists and Holocaust deniers.”
Loomer has repeatedly expressed dangerous commentary about Muslim people at odds with the views of a majority of Americans. Loomer has called Islam a “cancer on humanity,” has called Muslims “savages,” and said Muslims should not be allowed to hold elected office. In 2017, in response to reporting on the deaths of 2,000 refugees crossing the Mediterrenean Sea, Loomer wrote “Good. Here’s to 2,000 more.” Following the mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand by a neo-Nazi who murdered 51 Muslims praying inside a mosque, Loomer wrote: “Nobody cares about Christchurch. I especially don’t. I care about my social media accounts and the fact that Americans are being silenced more than Christchurch.”
Despite being Jewish, Loomer also promotes antisemitic conspiracy theories. She has stated that Jews “control the banks…and the media,” and that Jews “dominate Hollywood.” She has also promoted conspiracies about Jewish donor George Soros, accusing him of “buying” protestors. Loomer even went so far as to suggest that Soros was behind the series of attempted bombings that targeted himself and liberal politicians and activists.
Loomer is also known for her association with white nationalists like Richard Spencer, and the Holocaust denier Chuck Johnson, who Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) infamously brought as his guest to the 2018 State of the Union.
“The Republican establishment’s embrace of Loomer’s open bigotry is a departure from just a year ago, when CPAC revoked her press credentials, and so-called mainstream Republicans distanced themselves from her,” added Kent. “By opening the door to white nationalists and conspiracy theorists, the GOP is showing once again that its 2020 strategy is to generate fear and divide us against each other to build their own power and wealth. It’s up to all of us to hold our country to its highest ideals and realize the promise of freedom, safety, and belonging for all Americans.”
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action is uniting a movement of tens of thousands of progressive Jews across the country who are fighting for justice and equality for all. We are the only national Jewish organization focused exclusively on social change in the United States.
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