‘Alt-Right’ Provocateur Or New-Wave Jewish Journalist?

It’s hard to know how exactly to categorize Jewish “alt-right” personality Laura Loomer. Through a series of stunts, articles and social media campaigns, the proudly Jewish Loomer has embraced the anti-immigrant, anti-Islam platform of the fringe right, minus the anti-Semitism. Is she a performance artist? Or perhaps the Jewish Richard Spencer?

Loomer, 24, is the former New York correspondent for The Rebel Media, sometimes referred to as the Canadian Breitbart. Her public profile has been growing ever since she rushed the stage of Shakespeare in the Park minutes before Julius Caesar — dressed like Trump — was slated to be assassinated. “Stop the normalization of political violence against the right!” Loomer cried at the bewildered actors before police officers escorted her off the stage.

Her efforts didn’t get her much love from the “alt-right,” which has a deep anti-Semitic strain. One of its leaders, known by his pseudonym @BakedAlaska, tweeted a picture of her in a gas oven. But later, rumors circulated that Loomer and @BakedAlaska were dating — a troll move that worked precisely because of Loomer’s commitment to hobnobbing with the VIPs of #MAGA.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

“You have a right to not like whoever you don’t like,” Loomer told the Forward. “I don’t like Islam, they don’t have to like the Jews.”

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount