Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (D) said Sunday that former President Trump’s ties to far-right activist Laura Loomer serve as a “reminder” of the “exhausting chaos” that existed while he was in office.
In an interview on NBC News’s “Meet the Press,” Buttigieg noted Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), was just on the Sunday morning broadcast, where he was asked about Loomer’s remarks invoking a crude stereotype to attack Vice President Harris on her Indian heritage.
“We’re not having a serious policy debate about immigration or any other issue, if you got JD Vance on your program, basically debating exactly how racist it is to talk about the things that Laura Loomer is talking about,” Buttigieg told anchor Kristen Welker.
“This is the kind of side show that they want to take the main stage so that they don’t have to talk about anything serious, and it’s a reminder of just how exhausting it was to deal with all this the first time Donald Trump was president. America would be in for another four years of this exhausting chaos every time we check the news if they come back into power,” Buttigieg said.
Loomer — an outspoken Trump supporter who is known for spreading conspiracy theories and using racist rhetoric — flew on Trump’s plane to Tuesday’s debate in Philadelphia and was part of his entourage as he attended memorial events Wednesday to mark the anniversary of 9/11.
“Look, Laura Loomer is not affiliated with the Trump campaign,” Vance said in a Sunday interview with Welker, who also noted that Vance’s wife is Indian.
“Look, Kristen, I make a mean chicken curry. I don’t think that it’s insulting for anybody to talk about their dietary preferences or what they want to do in the White House. I think 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 added.
Loomer does not have any official role with Trump’s campaign, multiple sources said. But her association with the former president has prompted criticism, even from some of Trump’s loyal supporters, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
Trump said Friday he did not agree with statements Loomer has made, though he didn’t specify any particular comment. He also described her as a “private citizen and a longtime supporter.”
Trump shrugged off a question earlier that day, saying “Laura’s been a supporter of mine. She speaks positively of the campaign,” and that “Laura is a supporter. I don’t control Laura; she’s a free spirit.”