NEW YORK (AP) – Laura Loomer, a conservative activist and ally of the president, says she’s qualified to work in the press room at a time when there are few mainstream reporters in the Pentagon press room.
Loomer is influential on social media and has the ear of President Donald Trump, often campaigning for the firing of government officials she deems insufficiently loyal to the administration. The national security sector has been targeted, including Army Secretary Dan Driscoll.
Pentagon officials did not immediately return messages seeking comment Tuesday. The Washington Post first reported the news of her certification.
Virtually all Pentagon reporters in traditional media left last month They did not agree to a new policy that they say would limit their ability to report news they have not been cleared to publish by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Some right-wing news organizations took their placebut the banned journalists continuing to work Regarding stories related to the Department of Defense.
“After a year of breaking down some of our national security’s most influential stories and rooting out deceitful, dishonest bad actors from the Department of Defense, I’m pleased to announce that she’s ready to join the press corps,” Rumer said. said in Xformerly Twitter. He did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Earlier this year, she criticized Driscoll For publicly recognizing a Medal of Honor recipient who previously spoke at the Democratic National Convention. Separately, Driscoll rescinded the appointment of a former Biden administration official to teach at West Point after Loomer attacked him.
Trump later downplayed Loomer’s influence, but last spring. fired a handful After she presented him with evidence of supposed dishonesty on the part of National Security Council officials.
Still, her influence, such as flying with President Trump on Air Force One, is wary of her influence, polarizing some in the administration. Loomer has not yet received space, although he has been given space in the Pentagon press room. Report credentials At the White House. Rumer also criticized For making fun of conspiracy theories and making anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim posts.
“It is undeniable that my investigative reporting has had a significant impact on the state of personnel decisions within the executive branch, the intelligence community, and the Department of Defense,” Loomer wrote to X. “I look forward to covering the Department of Defense and publishing additional reporting that impacts our country and national security.”
In a social media post, she urged people to break the news to them through the “Roomed Tipline, the most influential tipline in all of D.C.”
Reuters national security correspondent Phil Stewart said: in a social media post On Tuesday, Hegseth’s new media policy makes reporters who seek information from Pentagon officials not authorized for publication subject to revocation of access.
But Loomer’s call for tips was not specifically targeted at people working at the Pentagon.
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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for The Associated Press. please follow him http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social
