After being ‘bamboozled by Russian propaganda,’ Laura Loomer says she’s all in for Ukraine

For years Laura Loomer Alongside his unwavering support for President Donald Trump was his fervent opposition to the United States aiding Ukraine in its war against Russia.

The far-right figure accused Ukrainian soldiers of committing war crimes and President Volodymyr Zelensky of imitating the Jewish faith. He once encouraged Russian President Vladimir Putin to take over the entire country.

But on Friday, Loomer released a very friendly 45-minute interview with Zelensky recorded in Kiev; Zelensky praised the country’s drone tactics, acknowledged spreading lies about the war, and expressed regret for amplifying narratives that benefited Russia.

“I was confused by Russian propaganda and began to believe a lot of untrue things about Ukraine,” he told Zelensky.

The admission marked a stunning reversal from one of Trump’s staunchest allies who the president appeared to readily embrace. On Thursday, Trump shared a promotional clip of the interview on Truth Social, writing: “So good!!!”

Two senior administration officials told CNN that the White House was unaware that Loomer had made a trip to war-torn Ukraine; It was a 30-hour journey from Poland to Kiev, which Loomer said included a long train ride due to airspace restrictions. Neither the White House nor the State Department responded to CNN’s questions about his presence.

Still, his visit was a stark reminder of the sometimes unconventional currents that shape Trump’s foreign policy trajectory. Images of her with Zelensky emerged on the same day that Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in the Philippines. Loomer got a commitment from Zelensky to sign a peace agreement with Russia at the White House or at Trump’s Palm Beach mansion; Rubio, meanwhile, acknowledged little progress has been made toward a deal.

A White House official told CNN that Zelensky was preparing to meet with Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Zelensky said earlier this week that he met with Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. “It was a good and important conversation about how to revitalize diplomacy and bring peace closer.” Published on X.

Loomer, who until recently spent a significant amount of his time describing and criticizing Allegation of disloyal employees It seemed unlikely that there would be any sympathy for the Ukrainian people within the Trump administration. In addition to using his massive digital platform to mobilize MAGA against the country at war, he also previously wrote a series of columns for the Kremlin-funded international television network RT.

A person in Kiev familiar with how the Zelensky interview was arranged told CNN that a “significant effort” has been made in recent weeks to change Loomer’s worldview.

Reached briefly by phone while visiting the rubble of the Russian air strike, Loomer said he had a positive experience talking with Zelensky. He did not elaborate on how the trip was arranged in subsequent messages to CNN.

In her meeting with Zelensky, Loomer distanced herself from past statements accusing her of supporting neo-Nazi militias and praised the country’s new law criminalizing anti-Semitism. During his visit, he also met the well-known Ukrainian rabbi Moshe Reuven Azman.

Loomer’s transformation sparked a range of reactions, including deep skepticism of X from liberals and anti-Trump Republicans; some of these questioned whether his change of view was real or financial. Loomer told the Puck news outlet that he paid for his own plane ticket but declined to say how other regulations, such as security and train tickets, were covered.

“The Ukrainian government didn’t pay for me to go, if that’s what you want,” he told Puck.

Another far-right commentator and outspoken Ukraine critic, Tim Pool, had posted on X that he had changed his mind about the war, appearing to mock Loomer. It later turned out that he was insincere.

But a Kiev source said Zelensky’s inner circle was pleased with the initial reaction to Loomer’s appearance and was optimistic that he could now be an effective voice of support for Ukraine, given his credibility with the president and his many supporters. During the interview, Zelensky praised Trump and welcomed Loomer’s suggestions on how to win MAGA, but declined to say who he thought was better between President Joe Biden and the current office holder.

“History will provide the answer,” he said, before naming Abraham Lincoln the nation’s best leader.

Loomer’s reconsideration of her longstanding opposition to Ukraine comes in the wake of an escalating feud with Tucker Carlson over his opposition to Trump’s war with Iran. Like Loomer, Carlson regularly shared Russian talking points while opposing U.S. support for Ukraine’s defense.

But Loomer became increasingly suspicious of Carlson’s motivations, revealing a deep ideological rift on foreign policy within the MAGA movement. Loomer targeted Carlson during his travels to Ukraine. At one point, he was eating at a McDonald’s that was still operating amid the debris from airstrikes; It was a move intended to evoke Carlson’s controversial visit to Moscow two years ago. He interviewed PutinHe praised it as “more beautiful than any US city” and panned the Russian imitation of the golden arches. McDonald’s withdrew from the country in 2022, shortly after beginning its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The war-related divisions in Trump’s base come at a time when air strikes between Ukraine and Russia are intensifying. June is marked Deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians in more than four yearsDrone attacks on Russia are underway, the United Nations recently reported infrastructure and warships led to increased losses and created new challenges for Putin.

Congress is considering punishing Moscow with more sanctions through a bill designed to honor the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, a longtime supporter of Ukraine’s war against Russia. Trump has expressed willingness to sign the bill if it includes sanctions against Iran.

When asked about the sanctions legislation, Zelensky told Loomer that Trump “understands exactly who really doesn’t want to stop the war.”

“He understood that we really want peace,” Zelensky said.

CNN’s Kristen Holmes contributed to this report.

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