Um, Laura Loomer says ‘Joseph McCarthy was right’ and ‘we need to make McCarthy great again’

Far-right activist Laura Loomer has openly praised Senator Joseph McCarthy and his tactics from the 1950s Red Scare. This comes as she continues to influence Trump administration firings across multiple government agencies. Loomer has become a key figure in targeting federal officials she believes are disloyal to President Donald Trump.

The conspiracy theorist has spent most of 2025 successfully pushing for the removal of federal employees across various departments. She has not targeted these officials for poor job performance. Instead, she has gone after them because she questions their political loyalty to Trump personally. This approach has drawn comparisons to one of the darkest chapters in American political history.

When The Atlantic’s Michael Scherer compared her efforts to the Red Scare tactics of the 1950s, Loomer embraced the comparison completely. “Joseph McCarthy was right,” Loomer told The Atlantic without hesitation. “We need to make McCarthy great again.” Her response shows how she views McCarthy’s controversial campaign as something worth celebrating rather than condemning.

Loomer’s influence grows within Trump’s inner circle

Trump has publicly praised Loomer multiple times in recent months. The president called her a “very nice person” and a “patriot” who makes recommendations he takes seriously. This praise comes despite Loomer’s extreme background as someone who has described herself as “pro-white nationalism” and a “proud Islamophobe.” Even some of Trump’s far-right allies consider her too extreme.

Loomer has successfully lobbied for numerous high-profile firings in the Trump administration. She has targeted more than a dozen officials across multiple agencies, including the Pentagon and National Security Council. Her practice of getting people fired has earned its own name among political observers: “Loomering.”

The activist has visited the White House multiple times this year, including meetings in the Oval Office with Trump. After one April meeting where she presented Trump with a list of National Security Council officials she deemed disloyal, several of those officials were promptly fired. She has also met with Vice President JD Vance to discuss her vetting concerns. Trump officials have described feeling fearful of becoming her next target, with one White House source comparing her to “a fly that keeps getting in your face and keeps coming back.”

McCarthyism finds new supporters among conservatives

Loomer is not alone among Trump allies in praising McCarthy’s tactics. Several prominent Republicans have defended the Wisconsin senator in recent years. Monica Crowley, who now serves as Trump’s Chief of Protocol, spoke at a far-right event last year and declared that “Sen. Joe McCarthy was right.” She claimed he was trying to warn about communist infiltration in government and was unfairly attacked for “speaking the truth.”

Steve Bannon, a longtime Trump supporter, has also praised McCarthy’s work. He told his radio listeners that “Sen. McCarthy did a fantastic job.” Even some Republican members of Congress have shown support for McCarthy-style tactics. Senator Ted Cruz, when compared to McCarthy early in his career, suggested the criticism “may be a sign that perhaps we’re doing something right.”

Trump himself sometimes complains about his opponents using “McCarthyism” against him. However, given how many of his closest allies openly support McCarthy’s methods, this creates a clear contradiction in his messaging. The growing acceptance of McCarthy’s legacy among Trump supporters represents a significant shift in how conservatives view this controversial period of American history.