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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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Laura Loomer, a far-right activist with the ear of the president, has suggested Muslims be barred from working for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), calling it a "national security threat."
Writing on X, Loomer, who describes herself as an independent investigative journalist, said she was "disgusted" that "so many Muslims" worked at the TSA in an Atlanta airport. In another post she added: "Wearing a hijab is a sign someone is sharia adherent. If you support sharia law, you should be banned from working at TSA."
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Why It Matters
Loomer, known in part for her anti-Muslim rhetoric and for promoting conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and the 9/11 terror attacks, has became increasingly influential in right-wing circles since President Donald Trump returned to office. She has been linked to White House decisions, including the firing of key aides, but her inflammatory views make her a divisive figure.
Meanwhile, her comments come as the U.S. becomes increasingly politically polarized, sparking conversations about the balance between free speech and offensive discourse. Tennessee Republican Representative Andy Ogles triggered outrage when he said on Monday that Muslims "don't belong in American society."
What To Know
Writing on X, Loomer said: "Every time I travel and a Muslim in a hijab asks to see my passport at TSA, I just want to say 'f*** you. How dare you, take your hijab off and then maybe I will show you.' I am disgusted that the airport in Atlanta has so many Muslims working in TSA. In fact, I think that’s what I’m going to start saying from now on. It’s a national security threat for Muslims to be working in TSA. Why do I have to go through the humiliation ritual of showing my passport to some Muslima b**** in a hijab with a heavy accent? I’m done."
It comes amid an escalation in anti-Muslim rhetoric from Republican lawmakers and other prominent figures on the right.
Ogles has introduced a bill called the “Halt Immigration from Countries with Inadequate Verification Capabilities Act,” which would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit immigration from several countries with predominantly Muslim populations.
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom called on Representative Randy Fine of Florida to resign over comments the Republican made about Muslims in February. "If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one," Fine wrote on X, in response to a post about dogs by Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani, in which she called the animals "unclean." Kiswani later said it was "obviously a joke" linked to online discourse at the time around New Yorkers "hating on dogs."
Fine, who is Jewish, has repeatedly described Muslims as violent and, like Ogles, called for their deportation from the U.S.
What People Are Saying
CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, in a statement: "The First Amendment guarantees religious freedom to everyone in our nation, including American Muslims. If any member of Congress had declared that 'Jews do not belong in America,' that politician would rightfully face condemnation and censure. Yet like Randy Fine and other anti-Muslim extremists in Congress, Mr. Ogles has faced no consequences for his dangerous rhetoric, even as American Muslim elected officials experience censure motions, threats and harassment for daring to criticize Israel's genocide in Gaza. The double standards and hypocrisy must end."
Update, 03/12/2026, 11:05 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional comment.
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