Permanently suspended for repeated violations

Twitter maintains ban on candidate Laura Loomer

Loomer is a far-right activist whose confrontations with journalists and political figures helped her amass an online following.

By STEVEN OVERLY

Laura Loomer won't be getting her Twitter account reinstated despite winning the Republican primary Tuesday in her bid to represent Florida's 21st Congressional District.

"The account owner you referenced was permanently suspended for repeated violations of the Twitter Rules, and we do not plan to reverse that enforcement action," the company said in a statement.

Why she was banned: Loomer is a far-right activist whose confrontations with journalists and political figures helped her amass an online following.

But her online antics ran afoul of rules set by social media companies, and she has been banned from Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as well as other platforms like PayPal, Venmo and Uber.

Loomer was specifically banned from Twitter in 2018 after disparaging posts about Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar and her Muslim faith. Loomer subsequently handcuffed herself to Twitter's New York headquarters in protest.

The big picture: Social media companies have at times given political figures more leeway when their speech violates rules so the public can hear directly from their representatives. But it seems that won't be enough to get Loomer tweeting again.

What's next: Loomer's chances of defeating incumbent Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) appear slim despite words of support from President Donald Trump on Wednesday.