Laura Loomer’s Islamophobic Campaign Faces Backlash, But Her Influence Remains Strong

Far-right activist Laura Loomer is facing growing criticism after launching personal attacks against Muslim American employees in the U.S. government, calling for them to be fired without evidence of any wrongdoing. Veteran journalist Mehdi Hasan publicly condemned Loomer on Tuesday after she targeted Wardah Khalid, a Muslim foreign affairs officer at the U.S. State Department. Loomer accused Khalid of holding views that don’t align with Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, even though no evidence was presented to support the claim. "She must immediately be terminated from her job," Loomer declared in a post on X (formerly Twitter), tagging Secretary of State Marco Rubio. She included a screenshot from Khalid’s now-deactivated LinkedIn profile. According to her professional biography, Khalid has previously served as a senior policy adviser at the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the Department of Health and Human Services. Mehdi Hasan sharply responded to Loomer’s attacks, saying: “Watching Loomer harass and demonize individual Muslim government employees simply for being Muslims, while Democrats and the ‘liberal media’ stay silent, is a reminder of how mainstream anti-Muslim bigotry has become in the U.S.” This isn't the first time Loomer has gone after Muslim government employees. Just a day earlier, she also called for the firing of Mariya Ilyas, a career foreign service officer. Ilyas had previously led an employee group at the State Department called American Muslims and Friends at State (Amfas), which promotes professional growth for Muslim-identifying employees and cultural understanding. Loomer distorted this work, accusing Amfas of trying to “Islamify” the State Department—again, without offering any credible evidence. She criticized efforts to make spaces more inclusive for Muslim staff, such as installing ablution stations for prayer, calling it part of a broader conspiracy. Her posts and online articles generally target Muslim employees who have advocated for inclusivity, expressed views critical of Trump, or promoted balanced perspectives on Middle East policy—none of which are grounds for dismissal from public service. Another recent target is Shahed Ghoreishi, the State Department’s former senior press officer for Israeli-Palestinian affairs. Loomer labeled him “anti-Trump” and accused him of spreading “pro-Iranian propaganda,” citing his past internship at the National Iranian American Council. According to The Washington Post, Ghoreishi was fired after clashing with administration officials over how to publicly characterize White House policies—especially regarding Israel and Gaza. Speaking to Democracy Now, Ghoreishi said: “I believed in the system and in human decency. But I became deeply concerned about how radical our policies have become—not just the substance, but the language.” The State Department declined to comment directly on the firing, citing a policy of not discussing leaks or internal deliberations. While Loomer's rhetoric may appear fringe, her influence is real—and growing. With 1.7 million followers on social media and regular appearances in conservative media, she has played an active role in shaping policy and pushing out officials who disagree with Trump’s views. Loomer even claims credit for the Trump administration’s decision to halt medical visas for injured Gazans, calling it a crackdown on “visa fraud.” She wrote: “The media can smear me all they want, but the Trump administration is following my reporting.” Trump has acknowledged her influence, calling her “a great patriot” and praising her strength. After Loomer reportedly met with Trump at the White House, several staff members at the National Security Council were abruptly fired—reportedly at her urging. Her goal appears to be a purge of anyone in the federal government—especially Muslims—who she deems not fully aligned with Trump’s worldview. Speaking on War Room, Loomer openly called for the removal of “Islamic and communist holdovers from the Biden and Obama eras.” According to the Bridge Initiative, a Georgetown University project that tracks Islamophobia: “Loomer has built her entire career on spreading hate against Muslims. Despite having no official role in government, she has influenced Trump’s inner circle, from staffing changes to major policy decisions.” They noted that Loomer has previously celebrated the deaths of migrants and compared Muslim refugees to a disease.

NEWS