Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman of color to run as a major party’s presidential nominee, has been the target of racist and misogynistic attacks throughout her campaign. On September 8, far-right provocateur Laura Loomer stirred controversy with a racially charged comment aimed at Harris, but in an unexpected turn, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized Loomer for her remarks, accusing her of racism and misrepresenting the Republican Party.
Loomer’s offensive post on X (formerly Twitter) was in response to a series of photos Harris shared from a childhood trip to India. Loomer wrote, “If @KamalaHarris wins, the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center and the American people will only be able to convey their feedback through a customer satisfaction survey at the end of the call that nobody will understand.” The comment drew immediate backlash online for its blatant racism.
Greene, known for her own controversial statements, took a surprising stance by calling out Loomer. Sharing the post, Greene wrote, “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. @LauraLoomer should take this down”, according to The Independent.
Loomer quickly retaliated, criticizing Greene and refusing to back down. “It’s really funny how @mtgreenee (a raging antisemite who said Jews use space lasers to control the world) wants to pretend like I’m a ‘racist’ because I made a funny joke about Kamala Harris,” Loomer wrote, adding that she would not apologize for her comments. She continued to defend her post as “political humor” and accused Greene of being jealous of her.
Loomer escalated her attacks, releasing a video in which she claimed Greene once sought her help for writing speeches about Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib. She also accused Greene of selling out to Speaker Kevin McCarthy, calling her a “hooker” and accusing her of lacking convictions.
Despite her controversial rhetoric, Loomer has received praise from Donald Trump, even after her failed bid for Congress in Florida in 2022. Meanwhile, Greene’s condemnation of Loomer’s remarks highlights a rare instance of infighting within the far-right political space.