Who is Laura Loomer? Her relationship with Trump and the GOP : NPR

Laura Loomer has been a topic of conversation in Trump's campaign. Here's what to know

Juliana KimUpdated September 14, 20245:46 PM ET

(Another Dumb, Ignorant Bigot Who Is Making Decisions For Trump)

Far-right activist Laura Loomer speaks to the media prior to the beginning of former President Donald Trump's Trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 15 in New York City. 

David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

Far-right provocateur Laura Loomer traveled with former President Donald Trump multiple times in the past week — much to the dismay of some of his GOP allies. 

Loomer arrived in Philadelphia on Trump's plane ahead of the presidential debate on Tuesday. The next day, Loomer — who has promoted a 9/11 conspiracy theory — joined the Republican presidential candidate at events in New York and Pennsylvania to commemorate the anniversary of the attacks. 

While Trump already has a history of associating with racists, antisemites and conspiracy theorists, some Republicans have recently voiced concerns about Loomer and her past statements — including South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. 

On Friday night, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Loomer does not work for his campaign. "She’s a private citizen and longtime supporter. I disagree with the statements she made but, like the many millions of people who support me, she is tired of watching the Radical Left Marxists and Fascists violently attack and smear me," Trump wrote, without specifying which statements he disagreed with.

Here's what to know:

Loomer's rise to fame

A former Republican congressional candidate, Loomer is known for promoting conspiracy theories as well as anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim views. Though she had previously been banned by some social media platforms, she was reinstated to Twitter — now known as X — under Elon Musk’s ownership, and has amassed over a million followers.

Loomer has been spreading a stream of misleading content to her followers, including false claims that President Biden was near death this summer, that Vice President Kamala Harris is not Black, and conspiracy theories about school shootings. Last year, she shared a video on X which claimed that the 9/11 attacks were an "inside job."

On Friday, Loomer said her social media post was blown out of proportion and that she is not a "9/11 truther." She added that she had written that the attacks were carried out by "Islamic terrorists."

Trump has publicly praised her and shared her posts. According to media reports, he wanted to give her a role in his campaign last year, but The New York Times reportedthe plan crumbled after there was immediate backlash from some of his key supporters who thought she would be a liability.

She told The Washington Post in May, “I’m happy to dedicate all my time to helping Trump, because if Trump doesn’t get back in, I don’t have anything.”

Some Republicans push back against Loomer

On Wednesday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized Loomer for mocking Harris' Indian heritage. Loomer said on X that if Harris wins, "the White House will smell like curry." 

Greene wrote on X, "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 has promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories herself.)

Loomer responded on X that she "won’t be apologizing for having a sense of humor." She also accused Greene of being "jealous" of her. 

On Thursday, Lindsey Graham sided with Greene and called Loomer "toxic" in an interview with HuffPost. He denounced Loomer for her Harris comment, adding that Trump should be careful of spending time with the right-wing social media influencer.

“Marjorie Taylor Greene is right. I don’t say that a lot,” Graham said. "I think that the president would serve himself well to make sure this doesn’t become a bigger story.”

On Friday, Sen. Thom Tillis echoed Graham's concerns, saying that he believes Loomer will hurt Trump's chances of winning the election in November. "Laura Loomer is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans," he wrote on X.

In her response on X, Loomer called Tillis a "RINO" — meaning "Republican in name only." She accused Tillis of "working against Donald Trump," adding that she has always been on the former president's side."

Who is Laura Loomer? Her relationship with Trump and the GOP : NPR

How much will tariffs raise prices? Trump’s economists just revealed their answer : NPR

How much will tariffs raise prices? Trump's economists just revealed their answer

Jeff GuoApril 3, 20252:30 PM ET

President Trump holds a chart as he delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs.

Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

"When President Trump announced his latest tariffs on Wednesday, he also ignited an economic mystery. Just where in the world did those numbers come from?

Holding up a sign on the White House lawn, Trump pointed to a new, 34% tax on imports from China; for the EU, a tax of 20%. Vietnam got 46%; India, 26%. Nigeria? Just 15 percent. Trump claimed that these "reciprocal" tariffs reflect how other countries already tax American products. "That means they do it to us and we do it to them," he said. "Very simple."

That is not true. These are not reciprocal tariffs. They do not correspond to the tariff rates in other countries. The truth behind where these tariffs came from is far more interesting.

On Wednesday night, the administration revealed how they calculated the new tariffs, which are the highest taxes on foreign products that America has seen in generations. (For a sense of that era, listen to the Planet Money episode on the Smoot-Hawley tariffs.)

Buried in that math, finally, is a straightforward answer to a question that Trump has long refused to straightforwardly answer: How much will his tariffs raise prices?

Diving deep into Trump's tariff math

This is the Trump administration's tariff formula, as revealed on Wednesday night by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative :

The Trump administration's tariff formula.

Screenshot from ustr.gov

Behind these Greek letters there's a blunt but understandable approach. Essentially, the equation is trying to answer the question: How high should we set tariffs in order to get Americans to buy fewer foreign products, and close the trade deficit? This math says, the more of a trade deficit the U.S. has with another country, the higher that tariffs should be on that country's products.

Take China for instance. Last year, Americans imported about $439 billion of products from China — chiefly electronics, clothing, and machinery — while exporting only $144 billion. According to this formula, a 67% tax on those Chinese products should correct this trade imbalance. (On Wednesday Trump announced that the actual tariff would only be half of that, or 34%.)

Here's how Trump's math says it would work: The 67% tax should raise the prices of Chinese products in the United States. And those higher prices should discourage Americans from buying Chinese products or products that contain Chinese components.

This is contrary to Trump's previous public statements, where he has variously denied that tariffs would raise prices or has said that he "couldn't care less."

But according to Trump's math, the tariffs are supposed to raise prices. Because those higher prices are the driving force that will close the trade deficit.

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There are a couple of major assumptions in Trump's math. The biggest assumption involves how much the tariffs would cause prices to go up. Here, the administration makes an eyebrow-raising admission: It guesses that for every 10% hike in tariffs, there will be a 2.5% increase in prices.

Translation: Trump's economists think that about a quarter of his tariffs will be passed onto American consumers in the form of higher prices.

Going back to the China example, here's how it would all play out. According to Trump's math, the 67% tariff on Chinese products would cause prices of those products to go up by 16.75%.

By coincidence, the administration also assumes that for every 10% increase in the price of foreign products, there will be a 40% decrease in how much Americans buy. (This is on the higher but still reasonable end of what mainstream economists believe.) So, faced with 16.75% higher prices, Trump expects Americans to decrease their purchases by four times that amount. Which brings us back to 67%.

In other words, a 67% tariff on Chinese products would reduce demand for Chinese products by … also 67%. So if Americans are currently buying $439 billion worth of Chinese products each year, Trump's economists expect that the new tariffs will reduce that spending by $294 billion — which would close the trade deficit. At least in theory.

What's wrong with Trump's tariff math?

Certainly these new tariffs are not "reciprocal" tariffs. But the math behind them is not wholly invented or nonsensical, despite what some online have claimed.

In fact, for possibly the first time ever, the administration is explicitly acknowledging some of the basic economic logic of tariffs. Tariffs do raise prices. And higher prices do cause people to buy less stuff. And if Americans buy less foreign stuff, then America's trade deficit with other countries will narrow.

But that's not to say that any of Trump's tariff calculations arrive at the right answer. For one, these are very rough, back-of-the-envelope calculations. As laid out, this formula treats every trading partner, every good and every industry the same. Bananas, oil, clothing, computers or cars — it doesn't matter what a country sends to the U.S.

More importantly, the formula hinges on a big assumption about how much tariffs will raise prices. Trump's math assumes that only a quarter of the tariffs would be passed onto American consumers in the form of higher prices. But economists who have studied Trump's tariffs in 2018 — on steel and aluminum and various products from China — calculate that almost all of those tariffs ended up being passed onto Americans.

Aside from that, Trump's tariff math also ignores the broader economic consequences of these sweeping new tariffs. They will have an effect on the overall American economy. They will influence exchange rates. And they will likely provoke retaliatory tariffs from other countries.

So, will Trump's new tariffs actually close the trade deficit? Maybe, maybe not. But finally, at least, the administration has shown its work. And according to their calculations, raising prices and closing the trade deficit is what these tariffs are designed to do."

How much will tariffs raise prices? Trump’s economists just revealed their answer : NPR

The Trump Tariff Effect In GA: What Products Will Cost More? | Atlanta, GA Patch

The Trump Tariff Effect In GA: What Products Will Cost More?

"A Georgia lawmaker is supporting a measure that would veto tariffs established by President Donald Trump.

Updated Thu, Apr 3, 2025 at 12:24 pm ET

President Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington.  (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)

GEORGIA – President Donald Trump this week announced sweeping new tariffs, including a 10 percent tax on imports from all countries and higher tariff rates on dozens more. 

Trump, in an announcement Wednesday, said the "reciprocal tariffs" are aimed to promote domestic manufacturing and narrow the gap with the tariffs the White House says other countries unfairly impose on American-made products.

However, many economists warn the action could mean Georgia consumers can expect to pay more for many necessities, such as food, clothing, and energy. And those impacts will be felt most severely by lower-income Americans, a new analysis from the Yale Budget Lab suggests.

• Apple Moved Your Local News, Patch Emails — Here’s How to Fix It In 10 Seconds

The reciprocal tariffs, which range from 10 percent to 46 percent, are set to take effect April 9. The average tariff rate the United States charges would increase to roughly 22 percent from 2.5 percent in 2024, according to Olu Sonola, head of U.S. economic research at Fitch Ratings. That’s the highest tariff rate since 1909.

“Many countries will likely end up in a recession,” Sonola told The Associated Press. "You can throw most forecasts out the door if this tariff rate stays on for an extended period of time.”

CNBC has a full list of reciprocal tariffs, including the tariffs other countries charge the United States.

If they take effect, U.S. businesses are likely to pass the increased costs onto consumers, sparking fears of a recession or “stagflation,” a combination of high inflation, stagnant economic growth and high unemployment. 

What Costs Would Increase?

The Yale Budget Lab study suggests lower-income Americans would take the biggest hit because they spend a greater share of their income. 

Specifically, households with an average disposable income of around $43,000, among the lowest in the country, would see their disposable income drop by 2.3 percent with the new tariffs and by 4 percent with all 2025 tariffs included, the Yale study said.

The research suggests that in Georgia, the tariffs could have a devastating impact on many: the median household income in Georgia as of 2023 was $74,664.

The wealthiest Americans — those with $500,000 or more disposable income — would see a decline in disposable income of 0.9 on the new tariffs and 1.6 percent overall, according to the study.

The previously announced tariffs impose 25 percent taxes on auto imports, levies against China, Canada and Mexico and expanded trade penalties on steel and aluminum. Trump has also imposed tariffs on countries that import oil from Venezuela and he plans separate import taxes on pharmaceutical drugs, lumber, copper and computer chips.

The Yale researchers said clothing prices could increase by 8 percent as a result of Wednesday’s tariffs, and 17 percent from all U.S. tariffs.

Food prices are also disproportionately affected by the tariffs and would increase another 1.6 percent, which is roughly equivalent to the last 12 months of inflation on grocery prices, the researchers said.

Grocery prices are expected to go up 2.8 percent overall from all 2025 tariff actions, with fresh produce up 4 percent overall.

Wednesday’s tariffs leave motor vehicle prices largely untouched, but they are up about 8.4 percent due to the earlier tariffs, resulting in an average increase of $4,000 in the sticker price of new cars, according to the study.

What Happens Next?

Trump bypassed Congress by declaring a national emergency, which isn’t reviewable by courts. But Congress can terminate it. Four Republicans — Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Rand Paul and former GOP leader Mitch McConnell, both of Kentucky — have joined Democrats in trying to undo the tariffs. 

Paul, independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, and five Democrats led by Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia are co-sponsors of the one-sentence resolution that terminates the emergency declaration. 

U.S. Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock, D-GA, on Wednesday tweeted his support for Kaine’s measure.

“I just voted YES on @SenTimKaine's bill that would end the reckless tariffs on our close ally and neighbor Canada. These tariffs are making life more expensive for Georgians and achieve nothing,” Warnock said on X, formerly Twitter.

Republican House member Marjorie Taylor Greene took to social media to support the president's tariffs.

"We are in so much debt, an almost inconceivable number, we cannot afford to be the world’s piggy bank. We need to start making things in America, reopen factories, and bring jobs back to communities decimated by globalist policies," Greene said on X. "It’s time to Make America Wealthy Again!"

Wall Street Reacts

Financial markets around the world are reeling Thursday following Trump’s latest and most severe volley of tariffs, and the U.S. stock market may be taking the worst of it.

In early trading Thursday, the S&P 500 was down 3.3 percent in early trading, worse than the drops for other major stock markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 1,160 points, or 2.7 percent, as of 9:32 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 4.5 percent lower.

Little was spared as fear flared globally about the potentially toxic mix of higher inflation and weakening economic growth that tariffs can create. Prices fell for everything from crude oil to Big Tech stocks to small companies that invest only in U.S. real estate. Even gold, which has hit records recently as investors sought something safer to own, pulled lower. The value of the U.S. dollar also slid against other currencies, including the euro and Canadian dollar.

If Trump follows through on his tariffs, stock prices may need to fall much more than 10 percent from their all-time high in order to reflect the global recession that could follow, along with the hit to profits that U.S. companies could take because of them.

“Markets may actually be underreacting, especially if these rates turn out to be final, given the potential knock-on effects to global consumption and trade,” Sean Sun, portfolio manager at Thornburg Investment Management, told The Associated Press. 

He sees Trump’s announcement on Wednesday as more of an opening move than an endpoint for policy.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

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The Trump Tariff Effect In GA: What Products Will Cost More? | Atlanta, GA Patch

Trump pulls BOMBSHELL stunt, shocks the WORLD

Opinion | Cory Booker set a historic example for other Democrats to follow - The Washington Post

Cory Booker set a historic example for other Democrats to follow

​

​

Perry Bacon Jr.

"In an image taken from video, Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) speaks on the Senate floor on Tuesday. (Senate Television/AP) 

Cory Booker, thank you. Establishment Democrats, be more like Cory.

Starting from around 7 p.m. on Monday and continuing well into Tuesday evening, finally ending just after 8 p.m., the senator from New Jersey reeled off the Trump administration’s countless abuses of power, misdeeds and catastrophic policy decisions during the longest speech in the history of the U.S. Senate. It wasn’t a traditional filibuster in which a senator is stalling major legislation.

What readers are saying

The comments overwhelmingly praise Senator Cory Booker for his historic 25-hour speech, highlighting his leadership, courage, and eloquence in opposing President Trump and his administration. Many commenters express hope that Booker's actions will inspire other Democrats to take... Show more

This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments."

Opinion | Cory Booker set a historic example for other Democrats to follow - The Washington Post

After Costly Wisconsin Loss, Trump and the GOP Confront an Elon Musk Quandary - WSJ

After Costly Wisconsin Loss, Trump and the GOP Confront an Elon Musk Quandary - WSJ

Trump Announces Sweeping Tariffs on All Imports: Live Updates - The New York Times

LIVEUpdated 

April 2, 2025, 6:06 p.m. ETJust Now

Live Updates: Trump Imposes Vast Global Tariffs; Some Key Partners Hit Hard

"A 10 percent tariff will apply to all countries, but trading partners like China, Japan and Europe will face rates two and three times as high.

Image

President Trump signed an executive order on tariffs in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday.Credit...Doug Mills/The New York Times

Pinned

Updated 

April 2, 2025, 5:25 p.m. ET41 minutes ago

Ana SwansonAlan Rappeport and Tony Romm

Here’s the latest.

President Trump unveiled his most expansive tariffs to date in a ceremony at the White House on Wednesday afternoon, saying he would impose a 10 percent tariff on all trading partners as well as double-digit “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of other countries that administration officials said had treated the United States unfairly.

The tariffs will apply to more than 100 trading partners, including the European Union, China, Britain and India.

Under Mr. Trump’s plan, the United States will impose a staggering new 34 percent tariff on Chinese goods, on top of the 20 percent levy he already imposed on Beijing.

Some of Mr. Trump’s steepest rates apply to U.S. allies, including a 20 percent tariff on imports from the European Union and a 24 percent tariff on goods from Japan. India will face a 26 percent tariff on its exports to the United States. These figures include the 10 percent baseline tariff. 

In a slight reprieve, the new tariffs will not apply to products that Mr. Trump has already hit with separate levies, including steel and aluminum and vehicles and their parts. Energy and “other certain minerals that are not available in the United States” will also be excluded.

White House officials said that pernicious trading practices by other countries had led to large and persistent trade deficits for the United States, and that other products, like lumber, copper, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and critical minerals could face additional tariffs.

In a briefing with reporters, senior administration officials added they had little appetite for haggling over lower tariff rates, even with U.S. allies that have offered to reduce their own levies on American exports in recent days. They also issued an early warning to countries that have threatened to impose retaliatory tariffs against the United States.

Mr. Trump at one point described his approach as “kind,” explaining that the government would only be charging other countries half of the rate that they had calculated should be applied based on those countries’ trade practices. He framed his policies as a response to a national emergency, saying that tariffs were needed to boost domestic production.

“We’re going to start being smart, and we’re going to start being very wealthy again,” Mr. Trump said.

Mr. Trump had promised for months to impose the tariffs, which the president says will correct years of “unfair” trade in which other countries have been “ripping off” America.

Here’s what else to know:

• Markets react: Wall Street shuddered as Mr. Trump announced the tariffs, with early market reaction pointing to a further slide in the stock market and a weakening dollar. Futures on the S&P 500, which allow investors to trade outside normal trading hours, slumped nearly 2 percent, erasing the day’s gain of 0.7 percent.

• European response: European officials are poised to respond to Mr. Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs with countermeasures. Although the bloc so far has concentrated on imposing higher tariffs on a wide variety of goods — whiskey, motorcycles and women’s clothing are among the products that could be affected — officials are also open to placing trade barriers on services, using a new trade weapon that was developed only in 2021 to target Big Tech and Wall Street.

• Tariff options: The administration has been weighing several different tariff strategies in recent weeks, including a 20 percent flat tariff on all imports, which Trump advisers have said could help raise more than $6 trillion in revenue for the U.S. government. Advisers have also discussed the idea of assigning different tariff levels to countries depending on the trade barriers those countries impose against American products, or exempting them from tariffs entirely through trade deals.

• Imported automobiles hit: New tariffs on automobiles made outside the United States go into effect on Thursday, adding to previous tariffs on steel, aluminum and other imports worth billions of dollars that Mr. Trump has imposed since returning to office in January."

• Trump Announces Sweeping Tariffs on All Imports: Live Updates - The New York Times