'Racist poison': White House responds to Laura Loomer's baseless claim accusing Haitian immigrants of eating 'humans'
At a news briefing this afternoon, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to comments made by Laura Loomer, a far-right activist and Trump ally, who baselessly accused Haitian immigrants of eating "humans" in a post on X, calling the remarks "un-American" and "racist poison."
"It is un-American to say these types of things," Jean-Pierre said, adding that Loomer's comments are "exactly the kind of hateful and divisive rhetoric, rhetoric that we should denounce."
"It doesn’t matter what your political views are," she added. "No leader should ever associate with someone who spreads this kind of ugliness, this kind of racist poison."
Loomer earlier today had re-shared a video on X that was captioned “Cannibalism in Haiti.”
"Haitian immigrants aren’t just eating cats and dogs. They eat HUMANS," Loomer wrote alongside a video that depicted a graphic scene.
"The media is obsessing over the Haitian migrants because even the most liberal voters are horrified over the animal abuse committed by so many of Kamala’s invaders," she added.
A Trump campaign spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment this afternoon.
Springfield, Ohio, has been a recent target of baseless claims, including an unfounded claim repeated by Trump that Haitian immigrants are eating local residents' pets. The Springfield Police Division said City Hall was evacuated after a bomb threat earlier today.
Loomer, a Trump ally, traveled with him on his plane Tuesday and yesterday to the presidential debate in Philadelphia and to 9/11 memorial services in New York. She has a record of amplifying unfounded claims, including posting on social media last year that “9/11 was an Inside Job!”
Judge narrows election interference case against Trump in Georgia
The judge in the election interference case against Trump and several co-defendants in Georgia has thrown out three counts in the indictment — including two against Trump.
The original 41-count indictment accused Trump and several of his allies of a broad scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the state. Trump was listed on 13 of the counts.
Judge Scott McAfee wrote in a decision released today that the counts could no longer be allowed to stand because they involved accusations of perjury or false statements under federal jurisdiction.
He did not, however, grant a request to dismiss the entire indictment.
JD Vance says GOP should threaten a shutdown: ‘Why have a government if it’s not a functioning government?’
Vance suggested that it could be in Republicans’ best interest to threaten a government shutdown ahead of an impending funding deadline, asking, “Why have a government if it’s not a functioning government?”
Vance made the remarks in an interview yesterday on the "Shawn Ryan Show." In the podcast interview, he said the GOP should pick the fight to seek changes, criticizing current spending on foreign wars and foreign aid and what he described as inadequate border security.
He argued that Congress has a “rubber-stamp mentality” in which programs from 20 years ago continue in perpetuity “instead of running a functional government where you ask yourself what makes sense and what doesn’t make sense this year.”
“Why shouldn’t we be trying to force this government shutdown fight to get something out of it that’s good for the American people?” he said. “Like, why have a government if it’s not a functioning government?”
House members applaud heightened security for Jan. 6, 2025
House members expressed their support for heightened security at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2025, which the Department of Homeland Security today named a National Special Security Event.
There needs to more security if there are threats, Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told NBC News, citing his own experience.
“I’m not in the security business. ... I was the last person, last House member, to leave the House floor on Jan. 6, and I stayed to fight,” Burchett said. “So if they think there’s going to be trouble, yeah, I think we need to have security. Maybe this time they’ll call out the National Guard.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., agreed, saying, “I believe that former President Trump incited what is essentially a domestic terrorist attack here on the Capitol on Jan. 6. We have to protect the peaceful transition of power in the United States, and it’s very normal to call for enhanced security to make sure that happens.”
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., criticized the move, pointing to what he said is the need to more border security.
"Well, you know, it’s funny that they wall off this Capitol but they don’t, they’re not in favor walling off the border. The wall protects us, but not the border,” Norman said.
Facing criticism for being too walled off, Harris slowly opens the door to more media interviews
Fresh off a debate they thought went well for her, Harris’ aides are slowly opening up more engagement for her with the media, amid growing concern among allies that she needs to be more accessible, but they have no plans to fundamentally alter their strategy.
The campaign said Harris plans to do more interviews with local media in battleground states and speak more with her traveling media corps in the coming days. She will also take questions from members of the National Association of Black Journalists, with whom Trump sat for a contentious interview this summer.
So far, Harris has done only one national television interview since she took President Joe Biden’s place at the top of the Democratic ticket — a joint appearance on CNN with Walz. She has also recently done two national radio interviews — with Univision and syndicated morning show host Rickey Smiley — and she has done some “gaggles” with traveling reporters.
Her campaign’s media strategy has largely been a continuation of Biden’s, which is to minimize interactions with the media. It’s a risk-averse approach that maximizes control but limits public access and opens her to criticism that she has something to hide or can’t handle unscripted questions.
GOP Rep. Mike Lawler blasts Trump's debate remarks
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., today criticized Trump’s debate remarks and performance saying he "took the bait" from Harris. Lawler said he "should have been clear" on whether he wants Ukraine to win.
Lawler blasted Trump for his unfounded claims about Haitian immigrants eating pets, telling NBC News, “I represent one of the largest Haitian Diaspora in the country, and I have a very good relationship with the Haitian community."
"I think everyone would be well advised and do well not to just jump on on rumors and make sure that there’s concrete information that would support any such claim that is made," he said. "On the issue of the Haitian people, the Haitian people are good people."
Trump rallygoer voices concern about former president being viewed as 'off his rocker' with pet-eating comments
Crimson Smith, a Trump supporter attending the former president's rally in Tucson, Arizona, today expressed concerns over his debate performance Tuesday night.
A self-described "big dog supporter," Smith said she searched Trump's unsubstantiated claim during the debate about Haitian migrants in Ohio eating cats and dogs and "couldn't find anything factual."
Smith argued that "most people who watch the debate know who they're going to vote for," but that undecided voters are "looking for guidance, and that was just kind of a far-out-there statement without some factual background to go with it, or supporting evidence to go with it. It kind of led them to think this guy's off his rocker."
When asked who won the debate, Smith said it was "more of a toss-up. I was hoping for Trump to be more precise. I think he got a little off guard on some of the questions, but Kamala also didn’t really answer questions and give us her clear policies on the way forward."
Smith also said, "I think he referred back to the border a bit too much instead of moving forward with some of the questions. Again, we want the border be in southern Arizona, we care about the border. But I think that looked bad on him."
Trump's debate sound bite about 'eating the dogs' is TikTok's newest meme
Many anxious and befuddled pets appear to be reacting to former President Donald Trump's baseless claim from Tuesday's debate that Haitian immigrants are "eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats, they’re eating, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there."
That audio clip has quickly become a staple among pet owners on TikTok. One audio clip of the moment, posted by The Independent, has been used to make more than 77,000 videos.
Local authorities have said they have received no credible reports of Haitian immigrants harming pets.
Many of the videos show wide-eyed pets nervously looking into the camera as if they fear for their safety.
The comical videos have also wracked up tens of millions of views. The sound clip has even been remixed into a club-style banger.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene goes after far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer and knocks Vance's childless women comments
At the Capitol this afternoon, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., further weighed in on her X post from last night condemning conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer for a racist post on Harris.
While criticizing Loomer, Greene also knocked GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance’s comments on childless women.
“I think that we need to be focused on our policies, the inflation, the economy and the border, and not attacking people for their race, not attacking them because they may not have children and they love their pets, and I don’t want to have anything to do with that,” said Greene, who herself has been criticized for spreading fringe conspiracy theories.
When asked if Trump should keep his distance from Loomer, Greene referred to Loomer’s losing campaign record.
“You know, Laura Loomer has lost two Republican congressional campaigns, one in a general and one in a primary, and this is such an important election," Greene said. "I don’t think that she has the experience or the right mentality to advise a very important election."
Asked whether she’s spoken to the former president about Loomer, Greene said she has, but would not go into the details of their conversations.
When reached for comment, Loomer said she wasn't advising Trump and contrasted what she said were her efforts to defend the former president with Greene's comments.
“I am not an adviser to Donald Trump," Loomer said. "I never said I was advising Donald Trump. I never said I worked for Donald Trump either."
"While MTG chooses to spend her time advocating for Kevin McCarthy and attacking Allies of Donald Trump, I am focused on exposing the corrupt Judge Merchan and making sure people don’t steal the election in places like Georgia, where MTG has been telling people Trump won’t win and attacking his VP JD Vance," she continued.
“MTG couldn’t even run her own family. She doesn’t have a clue about what it takes to run a campaign. Perhaps her ex husband is available for comment," Loomer added.
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton set to do their first post-convention fundraisers for Harris
Former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are expected to hold separate fundraisers for Vice President Kamala Harris in Los Angeles next Friday, according to three people familiar with their plans.
Clinton’s will be a lunch event, while the Obama event will be at night.