Trump allies blame Laura Loomer for erratic debate performance: 'This is what he gets'

11 September 2024

Before ABC News hosted the first — and possibly only — 2024 presidential debate between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris, GOP strategists were hoping that Trump would stick to issues and policy and avoid making personal attacks against the vice president or promoting conspiracy theories.

But Harris forcefully baited Trump at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center on Tuesday night, September 10, and Trump pushed a range of conspiracy theories — from saying that migrants were eating people's cats and dogs to falsely claiming that Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, favors aborting babies "after birth."

The next morning on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson commented that Harris "knew what buttons to push," gave Trump a verbal "beatdown" and really got under his skin in Philly.

In their analysis of the debate, NOTUS reporters Alex Roarty, Ben T.N. Mause, Reese Gorman and Jasmine Wright point out that Harris "appeared to visibly anger Trump."

A GOP source described by the journalists as someone "close to Trump" acknowledged that the debate didn't go well for the former president.

"This is what he gets for taking counsel from Laura Loomer," the source told NOTUS.

The Florida-based Loomer is a far-right MAGA activist known for pushing debunked conspiracy theories. And the NOTUS reporters note that Loomer "traveled to Philadelphia with Trump on his plane."

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) claimed that debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis were unfair to Trump and that he had to "debate three people."

But former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie made no effort to defend Trump, telling ABC News, "Whoever did debate prep for Donald Trump should be fired. He was not good tonight at all."

Read NOTUS' full report at this link.

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