Former Donald Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said Thursday she would not have allowed far-right influencer Laura Loomer anywhere near the 45th president after she was part of the Trump retinue at two high-profile events last week.
Loomer, 31, traveled with the Trump team to Philadelphia ahead of his Sept. 10 debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, raising eyebrows.
“I don’t know and I’m not here to criticize his campaign team,” Conway told journalist Tim Alberta at The Atlantic Festival’s “Ideas Stage” when asked why she thought Loomer was allowed in the orbit of the former president.
After answering “no” to the question of whether Loomer would have been let on the plane if she were still in charge, Conway quipped: “I prefer [former first daughter-in-law] Lara Trump — that would be my favorite ‘Laura’ to be around him. She’s doing a great job at the RNC [Republican National Committee].”
Loomer caused more controversy after she was spotted accompanying Trump, 78, and running mate JD Vance, 40, at a Manhattan firehouse to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Loomer has previously suggested that the Al Qaeda atrocity was an “inside job” and posted more conspiracy fodder on X days after the event.
“The 9/11 documents are still classified to this day. The American people deserve to know the entire truth,” she wrote on X Sept. 13.
“There’s so many unanswered questions… Why?”
Conway, 57, said Thursday she couldn’t recall ever being in the same room with Loomer, who has also attacked Conway’s daughter Claudia on social media as recently as last month.
“When I learned more about her and what she was saying, including to my 19-year-old daughter, it’s unacceptable. And I pushed back on that,” Conway told Alberta.
“And I’ve had a conversation or two with the president since, that I won’t reveal, and I like what I heard,” she added without elaborating.
Loomer triggered outrage Sept. 8 when she attacked Harris over her Indian heritage, writing that if the veep defeated Trump, “the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center.”
That post drew a fierce rebuke from many Republicans and Trump allies such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) who has a history of feuding with Loomer.
“This is appalling and extremely racist. It does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA. This does not represent President Trump. This type of behavior should not be tolerated ever,” Greene wrote, triggering a nasty back-and-forth between the pair.
Vance also distanced himself from Loomer’s remarks over the weekend.
“What Laura said about Kamala Harris is not what we should be focused on. We should be focused on the policy and on the issues,” Vance, whose wife Usha is Indian-American, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday before adding that “I make a mean chicken curry.”
Trump has also denied Loomer has any major role in the campaign, calling her a “supporter” and a “strong person” during a news conference in Southern California last week.
“I don’t control Laura,” the 45th president added Sept. 13. “I can’t tell Laura what to do.”
Conway also said Thursday she would advise Trump to accept another debate with Harris, despite him ruling out the prospect last week.
“I personally think we need another debate,” she said. “I’m a big fan of democracy, and I love the fact that people have an opportunity to see the candidate shoulder to shoulder, responding to each other.”
Trump told The Post Sept. 12 that “we just don’t think that there’s any need” for a a second showdown with Harris.
“We’ve done two. You know, one against Biden [on June 27], one against Comrade Kamala,” he said. “I did well. I did really well.”
