
Laura Loomer, one of Trump's favourite influencers, has interviewed Zelensky.
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Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
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Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
Refreshers contain caffeine
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
the funeral of the Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has been taking place in Washington, D.C. with guests there from around the world, including the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ukraine's President Zelensky, and the US President Donald Trump, who did the eulogy in his own inimitable style.
Donald Trump (Quoted)
He was extremely hawkish, I will tell you. He never saw war that he didn't like. Only his true friends would understand that. But he wanted it for the good of our country. He felt in his bones that our destiny is to win and that his job was to do everything he could to ensure our enemies would lose.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
And he had the ear of Donald Trump. Now that Lindsey Graham is gone, one person in particular has been trying to position herself as a replacement.
Laura Loomer
Hey everybody, Laura Loomer here. I am currently in Ukraine at the world famous Skyfall drone manufacturing facility. I am holding the P1 sun drone interceptor. And you may have seen this drone interceptor recently because it's the same exact drone interceptor that was held by Senator Lindsey Graham was two days before he tragically passed away.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
Now, a lot of people, it is really dizzying. That is the MAGA influencer and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, who who has gone from saying that Ukraine is full of Nazi sympathizers to declaring her support for Zelensky and for his country during an interview with him. What on earth is going on? We're going to try to answer that question today. Welcome to americast.
Marianna (Co-host or Correspondent)
Americast. Americast from BBC News.
Donald Trump (Quoted)
You hear that sound? Oh, I think when I hear that sound, it reminds me of money.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
We didn't start this war, but under
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
President Trump, we are finishing it.
Marianna (Co-host or Correspondent)
This is a big coverup and this administration is engaged in it. This guy has Trump derangement syndrome.
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
I have four words for you. Turn the volume up.
Laura Loomer (Interview Segment)
Hello.
Marianna (Co-host or Correspondent)
It is Mariana in the worldwide headquarters of AmericasT in London, and it's Justin
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
sitting next to her.
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
And it's Anthony here at my home in Arlington, Virginia.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
And Anthony, you've been at a funeral. Tell us about it.
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
Yeah, the Lindsay Graham funeral at the National Cathedral. I've been to a few of these big National Cathedral memorial services. Now, there's a certain pomp and pageantry to them that is familiar. And I think it would reflected Lindsey Graham's life and the fact that there were foreign dignitaries, as you mentioned there, Vladimir Zelensky, Benjamin Netanyahu, Alexander Rupp, the president of Finland, as well as a bunch of different senators and almost the entire presidential cabinet. Donald Trump and J.D. vance sitting in the front row where we are in the media. We're up on a little balcony that is kind of off to one side of the altar. And one of the most interesting things to do is to sit here and I had a little pair of binoculars and look down and see the interactions between all of these people as they wander in and talk to each other. They're all there for a funeral, kind of like you and I would be. But these are the most powerful people in the world. And look at the body language, look at what they're saying, look at who's talking to who. You saw Howard Lutnick, the Commerce Secretary, just go around a glad hand. All sorts of different people up and down the aisle. He's a very gregarious guy. You saw Zelensky and some very intense conversations with some of the senators who would later vote on a Russia sanctions bill that evening. You would see the Marco Rubio and RFK Jr. And Pete Hegseth, all of these cabinet secretaries, all kind of milling around and chatting. So that's interesting. I was struck by the fact that this was slightly more partisan affair than you normally see in these types of memorial services. I remember John McCain's funeral. Barack Obama and George W. Bush both spoke here. It was Trump. He was the main service center of attention. It was, you know, despite the fact that this was Lindsey Graham's funeral, it was still kind of Trump show as well.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
Yeah, and he made the most of it, didn't he? Let's listen to a bit of him
Donald Trump (Quoted)
running against each other. Back in 2016, Lindsey said something rather nasty on his flight to becoming the next president of the United States. So Naturally, I did something that I shouldn't have done. I shared his personal cell phone number with the millions of people that happened to be watching that particular day as I made a speech, a very important speech, and I remember the number 202-228-0292, if anybody wants to give it a shot. His phone exploded. He said, I had that number for 20 years, his phone, totally. I don't know what he did with it, but it exploded. That was the beginning of a friendship, in a way. But it was Lindsey who had the last laugh, because while I blew up his phone, all for one day, we became great friends. And Lindsey did not stop calling me for the next 10 years. It was not easy, Anthony.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
We should just explain what that comes from. So he's running against Trump. And, of course, I mean, it's worth reminding everyone, isn't it, before we get into anything else. At one stage in Lindsey Graham's life, he didn't like or appreciate Donald Trump at all.
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
He was highly critical of him in very explicit terms and critical of Trump's rise in the Republican Party, saying it was going to be the end of the Republican Party. Now, I don't know if you remember what Graham did with that phone, but I do. He actually engaged in a series of viral videos where he destroyed that cell phone and a bunch of other different cell phones. It actually was probably the highlight of his campaign, the most attention he got. He never even made it to the Iowa caucuses. He dropped out before then. But, yeah, it was just a sign that there was tensions there at first, but a testament to Graham's endurance politically, his ability to maneuver himself in Washington, that by the time he died, he was a close confidant of the president, one of the major voices on foreign policy and an interventionist foreign policy in Donald Trump's inner circle.
Marianna (Co-host or Correspondent)
And Anthony Sean Hannity, who works for Fox, was there, wasn't he?
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
Yeah. And that's one of the reasons why I said earlier that this felt like a bit more of a partisan affair than a typical memorial service in the National Cathedral. Hannity, of course, is a conservative firebrand on Fox News, and he had Lindsey Graham as a guest on regularly. He said Lindsey Graham was good for ratings. But then he went on to kind of obsequiously talk about Lindsey Graham up in heaven and his relationship with Donald Trump here on Earth.
Sean Hannity (Quoted)
Lindsey, Mr. President, I would argue in my mind, probably has a heavenly version of Mar a Lago. It may even be a little bigger. He may have a little more gold in the Oval office in his mansion in heaven. And I wouldn't be surprised if he added one big, beautiful ballroom and an arch somewhere on the property, because he would want to obviously duplicate his dearest friend in life. You, Mr. President. Lindsay, my friend, goodbye for now. We will see you again. We will finish the work that you started. Well done. Good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of. Of thy Lord. Godspeed, Lindsey Graham.
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
Another thing that struck me as pretty remarkable was that when Donald Trump finished his eulogy, he got a round of applause. I don't know how many memorial services and funerals that you two have been to, but getting applause for delivering a eulogy has struck me as a little odd.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
Now, we're saying right at the beginning, Laura Loomer now tries to take the place of Lindsey Graham. So cue you, Marianna, because who is she? Why does she matter?
Marianna (Co-host or Correspondent)
You have to say that Lindsey Graham may be turning in his coffin at the prospect of Laura Looma being the person to fill the gap that perhaps he's left in terms of being a very sort of, like, strong advocate for particular bits of foreign policy. Now, Laura Lima is notorious MAGA influencer. She's been widely criticized for spreading conspiracy theories, saying stuff that is misleading or not true or hateful. She's always defended herself and argued that, you know, her points are points you can make when it comes to freedom of expression. But one of the things she's been been particularly vocal about has been Ukraine, and not in favor of Ukraine. She's very much, you know, she suggested that Ukraine is full of Nazis. She's echoed and parroted a lot of the Russian propaganda points about Ukraine. But now she has made a kind of sharp U turn, and she has suddenly decided that actually she is, what, concerned about Ukraine and that she sympathizes with them in their war against Russia. She interviewed Zelensky, which we chatted about on the Q and A episode, which was a pretty big deal because she'd been so critical of him. And then she actually seemed to kind of like him by the end. Now she's done this interview in Politico where essentially she's basically said, I'm happy to be the envoy for President Trump, and maybe I'm the person to step up here now that Lindsay Graham has died. But I think probably this is symptomatic of a power struggle that is occurring within MAGA influencer land and more broadly, the influencers themselves, looking to either cement themselves for or against Donald Trump or within his circle or outside of it. And Laura Lima is Someone who has traditionally been seen to have the ear of Donald Trump or been keen to present herself as close to him and his inner circle.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
Yeah. I mean, she has had his ear, hasn't she, Anthony, in the past? There's no question about her closeness to him.
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
Yeah. Controversially, if you remember, during the 2024 campaign, she was riding around on Donald Trump' airplane and getting attention because of that, and it rekindled all these concerns about her extremist views and conspiratorial theories, and Donald Trump didn't. I think she got moved off the plane for a little while, but clearly, Donald Trump did not fully cut himself off from her, and she has only become, I think, Mariana, it's safe to say, more influential within these MAGA circles since Donald Trump returned to office. I think it's kind of amazing to think that she might style herself as a replacement for a senator who has been in office or had been in office for more than 20 years, who has this foreign policy portfolio. But maybe that's just a reflection of the times.
Marianna (Co-host or Correspondent)
Yeah. And I think that it's important to underline that a lot of her influence as an influencer lies not just in. In perhaps being able to have a conversation with Donald Trump about some of these issues and perhaps to, you know, views that he may, may or may not take on board, but actually in the fact that she is an influencer. Right. So what she says on topics, a whole lot of people who follow her on social media will take her lead on what she thinks about things in the same way Donald Trump does that in a kind of big way with the MAGA influencer sphere. These people like Laura Loomer and we can talk about Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, have really committed followers who generally take their cues from them. And so the influence Laura Looma has here is that, you know, if she pivots, as she has done, seems to have done on Ukraine, that then means that there's a portion of the MAGA influencer community who also pivot on Ukraine who are like, oh, okay, maybe I don't hate Vladimir. Vladimir Zelinsky now, maybe. Maybe I actually like him. So take, for example, the interview that she did, which she's posted all over X, and I mentioned before some of the comments she's made about Ukraine that are not so favorable. For example, this tweet that she did in September 2025, where she said Ukraine is a country full of Nazi apologists. Compare this with what she says to Zielinski in the interview, which she's just recently done.
Laura Loomer (Interview Segment)
It was very interesting to see the McDonald's sign and then, you know, eating my burger and my French fries and my Coca Cola with a blown out building from a ballistic missile and people couldn't, couldn't believe it. I'm sure you saw the comments online, but it's a testament to how resilient people are ordering their food, walking around, going grocery shopping, taking their dogs out. People, they don't, it's almost like they're so used to it, it doesn't even affect them. But it's an American business and I think that a lot of Americans need to see that it does affect our country. Because, you know, I'll admit I've said some pretty terrible things about Ukraine and terrible things about you as well, openly on social media. I mocked you. I, you know, was part of the group of people in the United States who was very frustrated by the state of my country. I'm a Republican, I'm not a Democrat. And so I was very unhappy with the United States sending billions of US tax dollars to Ukraine when our own country is suffering.
Marianna (Co-host or Correspondent)
Now if we were going to be less cynical here about why she's done this, eg, maybe it's not entirely about her own political career, if we're going to call it that, or her pivot from influencer to almost like politician or envoy or however you want to characterize it. I do think this is a really good example of where people can say things on X or social media or whatever. It is something that is particularly extreme or misleading or hateful and then when they're confronted with the reality of what people are actually experiencing, they're so that has really like myth busted what I believed. It kind of feels like this might have happened to Laura Loomer. Almost like she's sort of come out of the Ukraine, Russia rabbit hole a bit. But obviously there is this very, not an undertone really more of an overcurrent that she'd like to perhaps play a role in Donald Trump's government in some way.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
And to be fair to her, she's pretty clear, isn't she, in her apology? I mean you heard it there to Lizza Zelensky to his face. But I mean she's said, hasn't she, she was bamboozled. She used that word, bamboozled by Russian propag because she used to do pieces for RT for the Russian channel, State run channel, Putin supporting channel. I came to believe a lot of untrue things about Ukraine. So I mean in an era where people are loath to admit ever that they change their minds about anything. I'm going to say, I mean, well done in a way, as you'd say well done about anyone who goes online and says, I think I used to believe things I no longer believe, and here is why, and just sets out the case. I do wonder what her supporters are going to make you suggest, Mariana, that her supporters will just say, okay, that's fine, we also change our minds.
Marianna (Co-host or Correspondent)
I think it depends on, I think it depends on how authentic they consider her position, which I think if you actually listen to the interview, you are more convinced that she genuinely has changed her mind about the situation rather than it just being a sort of shrewd political tactic or move. And I think that when it comes to social media and authenticity, quite a lot of followers will be keen to believe her because they feel like she is being honest and open. One of the things that's, I sort of took away from the interview itself is it really marks like this new style. And I say this to you, Justin, is like a very experienced, you are an incredibly experienced interviewer. Like that is not an interview, like the kind of interview you would carry out as a journalist. Like, basically most of the questions are kind of like thoughts and then they're in a conversation which I think is probably positive from a. Like they are building bridges, basically. It's almost like a reconciliation of some, you know, it's like when you get two people who disagree with each other to, to, to meet and to discuss something and they find some common ground. It's, it's more like that than an interview. And it's interesting because there's this bit where when she's sitting down she says, so are you going to release it or am I? Which is this new weird dynamic that like, you're kind of unclear, like who the interviewer and interviewee, like who is interviewing who.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
I think that's a really interesting point because actually it goes to the whole podcast business as well, which is that if you treat it like an interview and I'd sometimes do one to one interviews for, for us, but I don't do it in the style that I would do for my day job interview for the, for a news program in, in Britain. And Anthony, it's worth saying, isn't it, that the president, I don't know how much of it he watched in any great detail, but he approved.
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
Yeah, he, he did.
Sam (Arizona Resident)
He.
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
Loomer posted it on social media. Again, this is how people communicate. This president communicates. She talked about her interview with Zelensky. And Donald Trump reposted it with a very good three exclamation points. President DJT so he did, clearly it did make it onto his radar. And you have seen a shift from Donald Trump on Ukraine, on his views on Russia in recent months. And whether he's leading the charge or following something is happening here where there is a shift among the right wing and Donald Trump. Now, some of the Loomer stuff is still conspiratorial. She accuses Russia being woke and that their communists are trying to corrupt American politics and still blames Democrats for a lot of it. But at the base of it, where she really does have influence and a say with Donald Trump in particular and this administration in particular, you're seeing in effect.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
And I was very amused that David Axelrod, the former Obama adviser, big cheese in the Obama White House, he was on CNN and he was asked, Anthony, wasn't he, why Zelenskyy had done it, why on earth is he giving time to Laura Louvre? And he says, all I can think of is, my goodness, the things one has to do to save their country. And. And he then went on to make the make the point, which is an interesting one, isn't it, that Axelrod is saying he's not really, Zelensky's not interested in Laura Loomis supporters, whether or not they support her still or not. He is interested simply in Donald Trump. And if this is a person who can make the difference with Donald Trump, then it really does matter. And it's that, Anthony, that you do wonder now whether can we see. We started off talking about Lindsey Graham and the sense and Donald Trump telling us that Lindsey Graham used to ring him all the time and it was quite a nuisance. But you know why he was calling him? He wasn't calling him to pass the time of day. He was calling him in latter days, particularly about support for Ukraine, particularly about going after Iran. He had particular things he wanted to do. So does Laura Loomer get now into that role? Is there anyone else who's got that role? Because as Marianna was saying earlier, a lot of the right wing people online are going in their own directions and actually probably are less influential than they were.
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
Yeah, you know, I kind of scoffed at the contention that Laura Loomer could replace Lindsey Graham as an influencer on Donald Trump, but maybe, maybe reconsidering that a bit because, yes, they're very different. Lindsey Graham was old school, working the corridors of power, trying to get himself into the inner circle of the White House a more traditional way. Laura Loomer doesn't do that. But they both clearly do have an influence or did have an influence on Donald Trump and his foreign policy views. And I think we saw a little bit of that just last night when the Senate, as I had mentioned earlier, had voted on this Russia sanctions bill, and they voted almost overwhelmingly 80 something to 10 to advance this measure that would impose sweeping new mandatory sanctions on Russia and Iran. That was a sweetener thrown in as well. But the key was on Russia. And this is something that Graham had been advocating for two years. And the reason why this ended up passing was because Donald Trump and the White House signaled that they would support it, allowing all of these Republicans who are worried about Donald Trump's opposition to go ahead and vote for it. So I don't know whether you see it as a lasting legacy of Lindsey Graham that in his death he was able to achieve this one last goal or more reflection of Donald Trump seeing that his base was more open to the idea of punishing Russia, whatever it is that is a, a change in policy or could be if this makes it through the rest of Congress and becomes law.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
Just to drill down a bit, Anthony, on that Senate vote, I mean, it's interesting on the broad headline, but it's also interesting about what it says, particularly what it says about tariffs.
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
Yeah, that ended up being one of the more controversial provisions of this bill and one of the reasons why some Democrats ended up voting against it, despite the fact that the Democrats were the ones who were, along with Republican anti Russia hawks like Lindsey Graham, really pushing for a sanctions bill to get through. And the reason is because it gives Donald Trump new tariff authority. It gives him the ability to put 100% tariffs on the top five importers of Russian energy. So China, India, all of a sudden, Donald Trump has new discretion to be able to wield the Tariff act on some of these countries that he had tried to put tariffs on before and had his wings clipped. So there was concern among Democrats that you're opening Pandora's box here. You're giving Donald Trump another tool to use after some of the other ones have been taken away from him to impose tariffs willy nilly. And they actually added a provision before this vote to address some of those concerns because people were worried that, well, it wasn't just banning people who are tariffs on people or countries who imported oil, but also countries that facilitate the importation of energy. So Trump could even use it on Germany or France or the UK or allies. And they did change and add A provision that says any country that brings in less than 15% of oil or natural gas from Russia and is trying to reduce that, they can't have tariffs applied. But this is going to go back to the House of Representatives. It's not law yet. Well, first of all, it has to has to have final passage in the Senate. Looks like that'll happen. But when it goes back to the House, there are going to be Democrats there who are again worried about, oh, here we go again, with Donald Trump getting tariffs and being willing to use them and push the boundaries on them any way he can.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
Does it play, Anthony, into the J.D. vance versus Rubio debate?
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
I think so. I think the division within the Trump MAGA sphere, the Republican Party, is very well illustrated by those two men who are the two who are put forward even by Trump himself as the potential heirs to his empire. And they have decidedly different views on foreign policy. They may be relatively similar on domestic issues, but when it comes to America's role in the world explicitly, Marco Rubio over the past decades have been interventionists. He's been tough on China, tough on Russia. He's been an Iran hawk, maybe not as much as Lindsey Graham, but certainly one who has been in favor of putting more and more pressure on the Iranian regime. Whereas JD Vance, in his short time in politics has campaigned on non interventionism, on getting the United States out of foreign entanglement, certainly any kind of forever wars and wars in the Middle East. He's been very clear through background quotes and various ties to media pieces that he objected to the Iran war, that he was a voice to try to keep this from happening. So while they both profess to not being at odds, not that there's some sort of a rivalry between the two of them, I think when you look at that dynamic within this administration, you can definitely see those tensions, those fault lines there between the way those two men have operated in their views.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
Okay, before we go,
Donald Trump (Quoted)
I pledge allegiance
Sean Hannity (Quoted)
to the United States of America.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
Okay, it's time for our always gets me that the eagle says it's time for United States of America. So this is where we go to states around the USA where people think that we ought to be talking a bit more about aspects of them that they particularly know. And you don't have to have lived there, you don't even have to have been there, but you're just interested in the place. So today actually is Arizona. So it's Laura Loomer's home state. And here is Sam in Mesa.
Sam (Arizona Resident)
Many will know Arizona as The Grand Canyon State. But after living here for two years, I can tell you there is so much more that makes this place genuinely special. While our 120 degree heat makes this place challenging in the summer, the scenery is worth it. Here in the East Valley, we're surrounded by mountains, lakes, forests and the desert, providing adventures into the most unique nature on earth. Also known as the Valentine State. Being the last contiguous state to enter the U.S. arizona is steeped in history. The stories of Wyatt Earp and his shootout at the OK Corral are famous. But with 22 federally recognized tribes, we are also surrounded by thousands of years of native history. The canals built by the hokokan people in 500 BC form the building blocks for this city's survival and continue to provide water to the valley through the Salt River Project. This is actually why our city is called Phoenix. Like the mythical bird rising from the ashes, we use these ancient canals to create a stunning place.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
Anthony, your thoughts on Phoenix sun indeed on Arizona.
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
I have family in Phoenix and it's a beautiful city. I will admit it gets very hot during the summertime. I was at a convention there in July. God knows why they held a convention there in July, but I was walking from my hotel to the convention center two blocks and I was drenched in sweat from the heat. But if you like wide open spaces, if you like desert visas, vistas, if you like no humidity and these monsoons that sweep through every so often in the summertime, the smell of rain in the desert, there's. There's no better place. I highly recommend it. And the Grand Canyons there, which if you haven't seen the Grand Canyon, it is a bucket listing. It is spectacular.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
I had two things.
Marianna (Co-host or Correspondent)
I've not seen the Grand Canyon.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
Okay, you need to see the Grand Canyon and for this reason it's spectacular because it is terrifying.
Marianna (Co-host or Correspondent)
Is it good if you're scared of
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
heights and it's really in your face, the Grand Canyon, isn't it? In a way that I think unless you've been there, it really genuinely. You use the phrase takes your breath away. We use it rather loosely sometimes. It took my breath away.
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
Yeah. Yeah. It's awe inspiring.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
Yeah, fully. Except that it's also dangerous, which is fine. I think you say that about America writ large. Really? That's it. Bye bye.
Anthony (Co-host or Correspondent)
Bye bye.
Host (Possibly Justin Webb)
Thank you for listening to another episode. If you liked what you heard, why not subscribe to AmericaSt on BBC Sounds or indeed wherever you get your podcasts. That way you will be notified every time we publish a new episode. We also want to hear your thoughts, your feedback, questions, anecdotes, ideas, so do keep them coming in. We do look at every single bit of correspondence that we get. So you can email us americastbc.co.uk the WhatsApp is 443-301-239480 and you can get involved in the AmericasT Discord server. The link for that is in the description and you can also Watch us on YouTube. You just search for Ameracast. Until next time. Bye.
Donald Trump (Quoted)
Sam.
Episode Title: Could a conspiracy theorist change the MAGA view on Ukraine?
Date: July 29, 2026
Hosts: Sarah Smith, Justin Webb, Marianna Spring, Anthony Zurcher (BBC News)
Key Guest/Subject: Laura Loomer; reference to Lindsey Graham, Donald Trump, and others.
This episode centers on the intersection of U.S. foreign policy, Trump-era politics, and the shifting influence of MAGA-aligned social media figures. The hosts explore the recent death of Senator Lindsey Graham—a prominent pro-Ukraine hawk—and the remarkable pivot of Laura Loomer, a known MAGA influencer and conspiracy theorist, from being a vocal critic of Ukraine to publicly supporting President Zelensky. The discussion focuses on whether Loomer's shift could signal a broader change in the MAGA movement’s stance on Ukraine and what this means for policy and the future of Republican influence.
Segment: 01:07–08:57
Anthony Zurcher recounts the significance of Graham’s funeral, attended by global dignitaries and key U.S. figures. He notes that although Trump was not the deceased, he dominated the proceedings, reflecting Graham’s close late-life alignment with Trump and the president’s outsized role in Republican politics.
“Despite the fact that this was Lindsey Graham’s funeral, it was still kind of Trump Show as well.”
(Anthony Zurcher, 05:06)
Trump gives a characteristically personal and performative eulogy, reminiscing about sharing Graham’s phone number during the 2016 campaign—an infamous and formative moment in their dynamic.
“That was the beginning of a friendship, in a way. But it was Lindsey who had the last laugh... Lindsey did not stop calling me for the next 10 years. It was not easy, Anthony.”
(Donald Trump, 05:09–06:08)
The funeral felt notably partisan, with Fox News’ Sean Hannity’s tribute underlining the blending of political and media spheres within the MAGA movement.
“Lindsey, Mr. President, I would argue in my mind, probably has a heavenly version of Mar-a-Lago... because he would want to obviously duplicate his dearest friend in life. You, Mr. President.”
(Sean Hannity, 07:48)
Segment: 08:57–13:59
Laura Loomer, long known for anti-Ukraine, Russian-propaganda-echoing rhetoric, has flipped to supporting Ukraine after visiting Kyiv and interviewing Zelensky.
“I am currently in Ukraine... holding the same exact drone interceptor that was held by Senator Lindsey Graham two days before he tragically passed away.”
(Laura Loomer, 01:52)
Marianna Spring contextualizes Loomer’s prior statements, including calling Ukraine "a country full of Nazi apologists," with her current blue-and-yellow embrace as "a sharp U-turn."
“She has made a kind of sharp U turn, and she has suddenly decided that actually she is... concerned about Ukraine.”
(Marianna Spring, 09:07)
Loomer acknowledges her prior hostility—and expresses a kind of public apology and reckoning during her Zelensky interview.
“I’ll admit I’ve said some pretty terrible things about Ukraine and about you as well, openly on social media. I mocked you...”
(Laura Loomer, 13:01)
Segment: 13:59–16:41
The hosts debate Loomer’s motives: is this authentic regret, or a calculated bid for political relevance/career advancement now that Graham’s power-broker role is vacant?
Marianna suggests that Loomer’s authenticity on social media amplifies her influence—her followers take their lead from her.
“If she pivots, as she has done on Ukraine, that then means that there’s a portion of the MAGA influencer community who also pivot...”
(Marianna, 11:49)
The conversation notes how social media influencer politics are shifting, with Trump’s circle ever more shaped by online opinion-makers than traditional political operators.
Segment: 16:41–18:03
Trump “approves” of Loomer’s interview, sharing it with apparent enthusiasm—a sign he is at least receptive to her new stance.
Anthony highlights that the administration’s own views on Ukraine and Russia are shifting, with MAGA influencers like Loomer playing an active role.
“You have seen a shift from Donald Trump on Ukraine, on his views on Russia in recent months... she really does have influence and a say with Donald Trump in particular...”
(Anthony, 17:05)
Segment: 18:03–19:35
Commentary from David Axelrod (quoted via CNN) suggests that for Zelensky, Loomer's following is less important than her potential as a bridge to Trump—making the engagement a hard-nosed survival tactic for Ukraine.
“He (Zelensky) is interested simply in Donald Trump. And if this is a person who can make the difference with Donald Trump, then it really does matter.”
(Host paraphrasing Axelrod, 18:21)
Segment: 19:35–23:05
Anthony connects Graham's legacy to the swift progress of a new sanctions bill targeting Russia and Iran, which passed with strong bipartisan support after Trump signaled his approval.
The bill controversially gives Trump broad new tariff authority—sparking concern among Democrats that he might use it against allies (China, India, potentially even European countries).
“It gives Donald Trump new tariff authority... all of a sudden, Donald Trump has new discretion to be able to wield the Tariff Act on some of these countries...”
(Anthony, 21:16)
Amendments limit tariffs to countries importing more than 15% of their energy from Russia and actively seeking to reduce it.
Segment: 23:05–24:38
The hosts discuss a deepening divide: while Rubio (and, by legacy, Graham) represents interventionist hawkishness, JD Vance advocates noninterventionism. Their rivalry exemplifies the larger internal debate in the GOP and Trump world over U.S. foreign policy.
“...definitely see those tensions, those fault lines there between the way those two men have operated in their views.”
(Anthony, 23:10)
On Graham’s relationship with Trump (Trump, eulogy):
“That was the beginning of a friendship, in a way... we became great friends.” (05:09–06:08)
Hannity’s hyperbolic eulogy:
“...probably has a heavenly version of Mar-a-Lago...” (07:48)
On Loomer’s influence and pivot:
“She’s basically said, I’m happy to be the envoy for President Trump, and maybe I’m the person to step up here now that Lindsey Graham has died.” (Marianna, 09:07)
“I came to believe a lot of untrue things about Ukraine.” (paraphrasing Loomer’s admission, 14:42)
The authenticity question:
“It really marks, like, this new style… building bridges, basically… more like a reconciliation.” (Marianna, 15:33)
Trump’s online approval:
“Donald Trump reposted it with a ‘very good’ three exclamation points.” (Anthony, 17:06)
The episode offers both a snapshot and deep analysis of the evolving right-wing landscape post-Graham: MAGA influencers like Laura Loomer are not only shaping online discourse, but potentially steering White House policy on issues as consequential as the Russia-Ukraine war. Loomer’s journey from conspiracy theorist to pro-Ukraine advocate exemplifies the fluidity within the Trump movement and the unpredictable nature of influence in the internet age. The discussion ties personal drama and political maneuvering—“from funerals to foreign policy”—underscoring that in MAGA America, the lines between fringe and mainstream are blurrier than ever.