U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is accusing the Trump administration of a “nakedly political” decision to cancel his non-publicized classified meeting with nonpartisan career intelligence professionals after attacks from conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, who has strong ties within the Trump administration.
“Over the weekend, conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer discovered the unpublicized, classified visit and launched a campaign of baseless attacks against both me and NGA Director Vice Admiral Trey Whitworth for hosting what has always been considered a routine oversight meeting,” Warner said in a statement. “In response to Loomer’s criticism, political appointees canceled the visit, just the latest example of an administration seemingly desperate to please Loomer, a figure with a long history of extreme and outlandish fringe views, including 9/11 denialism, anti-Muslim harassment campaigns, and associations with white supremacists.”
Warner warned that this decision “threatens the principle of civilian oversight that protects our national security,” and labeled it a “dangerous precedent, calling into question whether oversight is now allowed only when it pleases the far-right fringe.”
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Loomer has been described as a “far-right conspiracy theorist” by BBC News and a “right-wing agitator” by Wired.
“Loomer has posted an unending stream of racist and Islamophobic content online, while pushing conspiracy theories about school shootings, election fraud, and the January 6 attack on the Capitol,” Wired reported one year ago. “She has ingratiated herself with senior figures in Trumpworld, such as Roger Stone and Donald Trump Jr. And throughout it all, Trump has complimented her, online and in person at his rallies and Mar-a-Lago home. He has shared her wild racist conspiracies, and even supported her to run for Congress.”
Last week, calling it a “scoop,” Loomer invoked the “Deep State” in announcing the classified meeting, which she described as a “fireside chat,” as she called Senator Warner a “rabid ANTI-TRUMP DEMOCRAT SENATOR.”
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“How are Anti-Trump Democrats who participated in the Russia conspiracy hoax even allowed to be hosted as speakers inside our Intel agencies under the Trump admin?” Loomer wrote in a question directed to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Tuesday evening, Loomer celebrated, writing: “Whitworth’s scheduled September 5th fireside love fest with anti-Trump Democrat Senator @MarkWarner Mark Warner has been CANCELED!”
Just days before Loomer’s “scoop,” Senator Warner blasted DNI Gabbard.
Responding to a Wall Street Journal report that Gabbard named an undercover senior CIA officer as she stripped them of their security clearance, Warner asked, “Is Tulsi Gabbard still the DNI or is that Laura Loomer’s job now?”
“Gabbard’s purge of nonpartisan subject-matter experts is foolish, irresponsible, and short-sighted. Her actions continue to put American national security at risk,” he added. “It’s time for her to go.”
NBC News added that in April, “the director and the No. 2 official at the National Security Agency were ousted from their positions, and Loomer took credit for the dismissals. She had met with President Donald Trump that week and thanked him for ‘being receptive to the vetting materials provided to you.'”
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