Far-right activist Laura Loomer, one of President Donald Trump’s most loyal allies, is pushing his administration to get tougher on Russian President Vladimir Putin. She’s also making a startling claim about Americans held in Russia.
“SCOOP: I just spoke with an official at the center of the negotiations to release American hostages held by Russia and I’m told the number of Americans Russia is holding hostage is actually 22, not 8 as was previously reported,” Loomer wrote on X on Saturday morning.
She said the earlier count of eight came after the release of Robert Gilman and Stephen Hubbard. She didn’t name the official or offer evidence for the higher number.
Loomer then went after the administration’s approach to Moscow.
“There needs to be more of an effort in my opinion by the Trump administration to be tougher of Vladimir Putin, who is objectively the most barbaric in a comparison between himself and @ZelenskyyUa,” she wrote.
“How many Americans is Ukraine holding hostage?” she added. “I believe the number is zero.”
Her post comes at a tense moment between Trump and Kyiv. In the past two weeks, Trump struck a deal to import Russian diesel, put on hold the sweeping Russia sanctions law named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, and said Ukraine needs “a new president.” He also told Newsmax he finds Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “more difficult to deal with than Putin.”
Loomer has clashed with the administration before. Earlier this week she feuded publicly with Attorney General Todd Blanche over a top Justice Department official.
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