Laura Loomer Takes Victory Lap for State Department’s Gaza Visa Policy Freeze — After Leading MAGA Pile-On

AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey.

MAGA firebrand Laura Loomer was given “massive credit” by a Republican lawmaker for a Trump administration policy shift after the State Department halted visitor visas for people from Gaza in a move that came just 24 hours after she claims she talked to Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the matter.

“All visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are being stopped while we conduct a full and thorough review of the process and procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days,” the department said in a statement Saturday.

Loomer, who had launched a barrage of reports on social media targeting the policy, immediately seized on the announcement as a personal victory. In a celebratory post, she called the decision “fantastic news,” adding: “Hopefully all GAZANS will be added to President Trump’s travel ban. There are doctors in other countries. The US is not the world’s hospital!”

She ramped up her demands by calling on the State Department to identify and fire the staffers who approved the visas:

Her campaign began Aug 6. with a series of videos, originally shared by the U.S.-registered nonprofit HEAL Palestine, showing children arriving in U.S. airports from Gaza for urgent medical treatment.

The injured included children impacted by burns, shrapnel wounds, and malnutrition. HEAL Palestine has long facilitated such travel under humanitarian visas.

But Loomer reframed the footage as a national security risk, accusing the administration of importing “Islamic invaders.” The New York Times reported that Loomer claimed to have spoken with Rubio about the visas on Friday night.

Republican allies quickly amplified her message. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) said he was “deeply concerned,” while Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) warned the flights were “absolutely unacceptable.”

After the State Department’s decision on Saturday, Fine gave Loomer “massive credit” for forcing the issue.

HEAL Palestine is yet to release a statement.