Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sought to distance himself from far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, whose presence on the campaign trail drew rebukes from both Mr Trump's allies and the White House, but he did not disavow her.
In a statement released yesterday, Mr Trump said he did not agree with Ms Loomer's past statements, but he still welcomed her support. Mr Trump made clear that she does not work for his campaign, even though Ms Loomer travelled on his plane for much of the week.
Ms Loomer, who commands a following on X of 1.2 million people, previously suggested the 11 September 2001 attacks were an inside job by sharing a video last year on X that promoted that conspiracy theory.
She has since changed her position and told CNN in an interview published on Thursday that the attacks were carried out by "Islamic terrorists".
Earlier in the day, Mr Trump was asked about Ms Loomer during a press conference at his Southern California golf club.
"She is a strong person, she's got strong opinions," Mr Trump said, calling her a "free spirit".
Later yesterday, at a rally in Las Vegas, Mr Trump said he had heard that Democratic rival Kamala Harris had used a secret earpiece during their Tuesday debate in Philadelphia, a baseless conspiracy theory that Ms Loomer has promoted on X.
Ms Loomer showed up at Mr Trump's debate on Tuesday and then in New York on Wednesday to commemorate the 11 September attacks.
She sparked fierce blowback when she posted on X earlier this week that if Ms Harris, who is of Indian descent, won the 5 November election, "the White House will smell like curry and White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center".
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre denounced Ms Loomer’s remarks as "racist poison" and criticised Me Trump for associating with her.
Several prominent Trump-supporting Republicans, including US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and US Senators Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis, also denounced Ms Loomer after her comment about Ms Harris.
Mr Tillis wrote on X yesterday that Ms Loomer "is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans".
During Mr Trump's press conference in California, Ms Loomer was busily promoting his remarks on X and making incendiary comments about immigrants who enter the US illegally.
Afterward, she posted: "I'm simply a ride or die supporter of President Trump." In a separate post yesterday, she said the Republicans attacking her were jealous that they were not with Mr Trump on his plane.
Ms Loomer, a Floridian who has twice unsuccessfully run for Congress, has a long history of expressing anti-Muslim sentiment.
Her views caused her then-Twitter account to be banned, a decision that was reversed after Elon Musk bought the company, since renamed X.
Pope says Trump, Harris 'against life' as Asia tour ends
Pope Francis has accused both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris of being "against life" as he returned to Rome from an epic 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific.
The 87-year-old pontiff's comments on the US presidential hopefuls came as he defied health concerns to connect with believers from the jungle of Papua New Guinea to the skyscrapers of Singapore.
It was Francis's longest trip in duration and distance since becoming head of the world's nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics more than 11 years ago.
Asked about the looming US elections in November, he noted Mr Trump's anti-immigrant policies and Ms Harris's support for abortion rights.
"Both are against life. The one who discards migrants and the one who kills children. Both are against life," he said.
Former president Trump has promised to round up illegal immigrants and deport them as he seeks to return to the White House in the looming November election.
He also paved the way for a 2022 US Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v Wade, the 1973 ruling that made abortion a national right for women - a right that Ms Harris has pledged to restore.
"One has to choose the lesser of two evils. Who is the lesser evil? That lady or that gentleman? I don't know. Everyone have to think and make this decision according to their conscience," Pope Francis said.
In Washington, Ms Jean-Pierre, speaking on behald of President Joe Biden - himself a Roman Catholic - said that "obviously the pope speaks for himself, and I don't have any more comments".
"I have not spoken to the president about the pope's specific comments on this coming election," she said.
