Loomer’s Kyiv Curveball

Laura Loomer arrived in Kyiv this week carrying a fair amount of baggage. For years, the right-wing extremist, proud Islamophobe, and close Donald Trump ally had been among the most vocal skeptics of Ukraine aid in MAGA circles. She mocked Volodymyr Zelenskyy, questioned American support for the country, and echoed many of the arguments that became staples of right-wing media during the war.

By the end of her visit, however, Loomer was telling Zelenskyy in a face-to-face conversation that she had come to believe she had been misled by Russian propaganda.

“I used to write articles for RT,” Loomer told the Ukrainian president during their lengthy chat. “I’ve come to realize that I was bamboozled by Russian propaganda,” she added. For anyone who has spent the last several years watching the Ukraine debate unfold inside MAGA Media, it was a remarkable admission.

The trip generated enormous attention inside U.S. media circles—and inside Ukraine…