Did ‘investigative journalist’ Laura Loomer inspire Donald Trump’s loony ‘Haitians are eating pets’ conspiracy theory?

Donald Trump’s recent performance at the presidential debate has left voters wondering if the Orange Man used a Magic 8-Ball to get his “facts.” However, Trump’s dog-eating rant appears to have an even more brainless source, self-entitled “investigative journalist” Laura Loomer.

The controversy spread like wildfire during Trump’s debate with Vice President Kamala Harris – since he and JD Vance had already been pattering about it in advance – where he made the outlandish claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were “eating the dogs” and “eating the cats” of American residents. Apparently, in Trump’s world, immigrants have given up on the American Dream in favor of a very unusual diet. His source? Trump claims he saw this “on the internet.” Of course, the former president’s inability to discern fact from fiction has turned him into a big joke. Again. Republicans are not happy, while Democrats can’t stop laughing. 

So, to prevent Trump from losing even more votes due to his big orange mouth, his campaign managers have even pulled the plug on further debate appearances. That makes sense, as Trump looks smartest when he’s silent. But where on the internet did Trump find his ludicrous dog-eating story? The culprit may be Loomer, who has a history of spreading conspiracy theories that even Republicans are ashamed of.

Did Laura Loomer invent the dog-eating Haitians Trump mentioned in the presidential debate?

Due to her commitment to “alternative facts,” Loomer has been banned from more social media platforms than most people even know existed. As it turns out, just days before the debate, Loomer had been spreading similar unfounded rumors about Haitian immigrants on social media platforms. The logical conclusion is that Trump decided to play a dangerous game of telephone, further distorting the lies he heard either for a publicity stunt or because he was just incapable of remembering what Loomer said.

As reported by Semafor, Loomer is known amid Republican circles as “the right-wing agitator known for egging on Donald Trump’s most inflammatory instincts.” The party is reportedly “100%” concerned that she is worsening Trump’s glaring shortcomings despite the “guardrails the Trump campaign has put on her.”

Others close to the Trump campaign have also attempted to downplay Loomer’s influence, insisting that she’s merely a supporter and not an official advisor. However, her visibility at recent campaign events and her track record of pushing conspiracy theories that later find their way into Trump’s rhetoric have led many to question the extent of her sway over the former president. That’s obviously a red flag for many Republicans, who still want to pretend Trump’s inflated ego is invertedly proportional to his impaired intelligence.

The cat (and dog) is out of the bag, not hiding inside some immigrant belly. Trump takes his cues from the most deranged people around, making him a menace to friends and foes alike. With election day close by, there’s hope voters will realize the truth about Trump and his unreliable sources of information – which he nevertheless wants to use to define U.S. policies.