Loomer Channels Higgins Memo To Target NSC Cabal

In a dramatic scene in the Oval Office on April 3, 2025, Laura Loomer, the far-right activist known for her conspiracy theories and inflammatory rhetoric, presented President Trump with a document she dubbed “The Memo 2.” Standing before Trump and his National Security Council (NSC) staff, including National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, Loomer unleashed a scathing critique of what she claimed was a disloyal NSC team undermining Trump’s agenda. Her memo, a collection of opposition research, accused numerous NSC officials of being part of a “deep state” plot, echoing her long-standing conspiratorial views on government sabotage. Loomer’s fiery presentation, marked by her characteristic bombast, aimed to push Trump to fire those she deemed untrustworthy, a move that left the room tense and Waltz’s position even more precarious amid his own recent controversies, such as the Signal chat leak involving sensitive military discussions.

This moment bore a striking resemblance to an earlier incident in May 2017, when Rich Higgins, a former NSC official under Trump’s first term, circulated a memo titled “POTUS & Political Warfare.” Higgins, a Flynn loyalist, had warned of a multi-pronged attack on Trump by a supposed cabal of “deep state” actors, globalists, bankers, Islamists, and establishment Republicans, whom he accused of using cultural Marxist tactics to subvert the president. His seven-page document, which eventually reached Trump’s desk, painted a conspiratorial picture of enemies within and outside the government, alleging they saw Trump as an existential threat to their prevailing cultural narrative. However, Higgins’ memo led to his swift dismissal by then-National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, who viewed it as a direct attack on his leadership, resulting in a broader purge of Flynn-aligned NSC staffers.

While both Loomer’s “The Memo 2” and Higgins’ memo share a common theme of alleging a “deep state” conspiracy against Trump, their contexts and impacts differ significantly. Higgins’ memo was a product of the chaotic early months of Trump’s first term, reflecting internal power struggles between McMaster and Flynn’s allies, and it carried a more academic tone despite its conspiratorial bent. Loomer’s memo, delivered in 2025, is less a formal policy critique and more a personal vendetta, fueled by her history of provocative activism and recent proximity to Trump, as seen in her travels with him during the 2024 campaign. Where Higgins’ memo precipitated his own firing and a broader NSC shakeup, Loomer’s actions may lead to actual dismissals, with reports suggesting Trump might act on her recommendations, highlighting her growing influence despite widespread criticism from even MAGA allies for her extremist views. Both episodes underscore a recurring theme in Trump’s orbit: a deep mistrust of institutional structures, amplified by loyalists willing to weaponize conspiracy theories to reshape the administration in their image.