During a Friday press appearance in Palm Beach to mark the renaming of a boulevard in his honor, former President Donald Trump praised right-wing commentator Laura Loomer, saying, “She can be a little nasty, but to me, she’s always nice, and that’s all that matters.”
Addressing Loomer directly amid applause from supporters, Trump added: “Hi, Laura. Boy, you are something. What spirit you have. Laura Loomer. Thank you, honey, for being here. I appreciate it. I want her to stay that way, too.”
Trump used the event to highlight Florida’s political and economic achievements, calling the state “extraordinarily red” and contrasting it with one year ago, when he said, “we were a dead country.” He also spoke about foreign investment in the United States, claiming that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar were each investing “two trillion dollars,” and adding, “So we took in six trillion. That’s why we have 18, because we took six from three countries. That helps, right? Laura? Is that right?”
A November Bloomberg investigation, however, found that the “actual investment promises are significantly smaller,” raising questions about both the scale and durability of the influx cited by Trump.
According to two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author James Risen, Loomer acts as “Trump’s de facto national security adviser.” She has also publicly criticized some of Trump’s political decisions. Earlier on Friday, she posted on social media, “Every time Tucker Qatarlson visits the White House, JD Vance gets less support for 2028,” referring to the former Fox host’s meetings in the West Wing. In a follow-up post, she suggested that the 2 million Iranian American voters would be “sitting out in the midterms,” linking the claim to Carlson’s July interview with the president of Iran.
The event combined political commentary with celebration, as Trump used the occasion to both recognize Loomer and highlight Florida’s perceived economic growth. Crowd members applauded as he discussed foreign investments, the state’s political alignment, and Loomer’s presence, framing her support as part of his broader network of allies.
