Republicans blame the influence of right-wing conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer for Donald Trump’s botched performance in the US debate. Among other things, the former president repeated the bizarre and unfounded claim that Haitian immigrants eat domestic cats and dogs.

Loomer flew with Trump on his private plane to Philadelphia for Tuesday’s debate and is considered the main spreader of the rumor about the pets. Authorities in Springfield, Ohio, where the custom allegedly took place, dismissed the rumor as false.

However, Trump doubled down on his statement in a moment that has become emblematic of his inconsistent performance in the debate with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came here, they’re eating the cats,” Trump claimed during a debate segment on immigration. “They’re eating the pets of the people that live there, and that’s what’s happening in our country, and it’s a disgrace.”

When ABC debate moderator David Muir told him the story had been debunked, Trump stuck to his claim, saying he had seen it “on TV.”

The rumor was also spread by Trump’s running mate JD Vance, who justified it after the debate.

Nevertheless, after the incident, attention focused on Loomer’s alleged role. The website Semafor quoted an unnamed source from Trump’s campaign team as saying that they were “100 percent” concerned about Loomer’s influence on the Republican candidate.

“Despite all the guardrails the Trump campaign has put in place, I don’t think it will work,” the source said.

Trump had proposed giving Loomer an official role in his campaign this year, but his aides rejected the idea.

Loomer, who describes herself as an “investigative journalist,” last year promoted a conspiracy theory claiming that 9/11 was an “inside job.” On Wednesday, she posted an unsubstantiated claim that Harris wore headphones disguised as earrings during the debate.

In a sign of displeasure among Trump supporters over her alleged influence, far-right Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene attacked her as a “racist” on Wednesday. In an earlier post, she said the White House would smell of curry if Harris – who has Indian roots – were elected.

“If @KamalaHarris wins, the White House will smell like curry and White House speeches will be delivered through a call center and the American people will only be able to provide feedback via a customer satisfaction survey at the end of the call that no one will understand,” Loomer wrote.

“This is horrific and extremely racist,” posted Greene, who has faced accusations of racism herself in the past. “This does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA. This does not represent President Trump.”

Although widespread dissenters continue to claim Trump “won” Tuesday’s debate, strategists find it difficult to explain why he ignored advice in preparatory meetings to focus on Harris’ policies and her record in the Biden administration while resisting their attempts to bait him.

Dennis Lennox, a Republican consultant, told Semafor that Loomer’s presence was not the only factor that affected Trump’s performance.

“Trump lost the debate on his performance, or lack thereof,” he said. “That’s what happens when you improvise, live in the Fox News-X bubble and rely on Matt Gaetz (the far-right congressman from Florida who helped prepare for the debate), not to mention Laura Loomer.”