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Far-right political activist Laura Loomer responded on Saturday to comedian Bill Maher's quip on her alleged "arranged" relationship with former President Donald Trump.
Loomer, a staunch Trump supporter, quickly refuted claims that she is in an intimate relationship with the former president to "affect" November's election. Maher has no evidence of such a relationship between Loomer and Trump and made his remarks in a joking tone.
"Here's my question because Laura Loomer said, 'Taylor Swift,' she believes, 'is in an 'arranged relationship with Travis Kelce to influence the 2024 election.' I think maybe Laura Loomer's in an arraigned relationship to affect the election because she's very close to Trump," Maher said on his HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday night.
Swift, a pop singer and songwriter, started dating Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs tight end, in the fall of 2023. When news got out about their relationship, there was a conspiracy theory among some Republicans that the two were part of a Democratic plot to influence the 2024 election. There is no evidence to support these claims. Swift, meanwhile, recently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee.
Maher then continued the bit by tapping into Trump's sexual history.
Before he was president, Trump, a New York real estate businessman, made headlines in the 1990s for his affair with Marla Maples who later became his second wife.
Trump is also known for dating younger women, with his third and current wife former first lady Melania Trump being 34 years old when she married Trump who was 58 at the time.
"She's 31. Looks like his type," Maher said of Loomer on Friday. "We did an editorial here a few years ago...it was basically 'Who's Trump F***ing' because I said, it's not nobody. He's been a dog for too long and it's not Melania. I think we may have had our answer this week. I think it might be Laura Loomer."
Reacting to a clip of Maher's remarks, Loomer wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on early Saturday morning, "I should sue Bill Maher @billmaher for Defamation" and called his claims "a complete and blatant lie."
Newsweek reached out to Loomer, Trump's communications director, Steven Cheung and a media contact for Maher's show via email for comment on Saturday afternoon.

Loomer's X post continued: "I have never in my life seen such a coordinated attack by the mainstream Media, the White House and leftist personalities to target a private citizen and investigative journalist simply because I flew on a plane and I support Donald Trump."
She called Maher's claims "unacceptable," adding "it's a full blown LIE and incredibly disrespectful to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump."
I should sue Bill Maher @billmaher for Defamation.
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) September 14, 2024
This is beyond the pale and it’s a complete and blatant lie.
I have never in my life seen such a coordinated attack by the mainstream
Media, the White House and leftist personalities to target a private citizen and… https://t.co/Nis17vPdPu
Loomer was pictured with Trump at two 9/11 memorial events on Wednesday after she launched a racially charged attack on Harris over her Indian ancestry, writing in a post that "the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center" if she wins in November.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and Trump ally, said Loomer's comments were "appalling and extremely racist" and called for them to be retracted. Other Republicans also criticized Loomer's comments.
"It's very obvious some type of memo went out because the reaction to what I said is completely overblown and it's a full blown character assassination campaign. This is a full blown lie from @billmaher, and he is maliciously and deliberately defaming me," Loomer wrote in her post on Saturday.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized Trump's association with Loomer, saying Friday, "No leader should ever associate with someone who spreads this kind of ugliness, this kind of racist poison."
A reporter asked Trump on Friday, "What value do you feel that Laura Loomer brings to you and has nobody told you about conspiracy theories that she has promoted?"
"I don't know that much about it, no," the former president said. "I know she's a big fan of the campaign, but I really don't know. She brings a spirit to us that a lot of people have. We have very spirited people. And in all fairness to her, she hates seeing what's happened to the country, I guess. So do I. It's very sad."

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About the writer
Rachel Dobkin is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting on politics. Rachel joined Newsweek in ... Read more