Federal Judge Dismisses Laura Loomer's Defamation Suit Against Bill Maher

A national judge connected Wednesday dismissed a defamation suit from Laura Loomer, ruling successful favour of comedian Bill Maher complete a remark he made connected his show that insinuated nan far-right activistic had an matter pinch President Donald Trump.

U.S. District Judge James Moody wrote successful an 18-page ruling that Maher was intelligibly joking erstwhile he made nan remark during a September 2024 section of HBO's "Real Time pinch Bill Maher."

Moody said nan section aired "during a clip erstwhile nan situation was rife pinch jokes and speculation astir Loomer’s narration pinch President Trump," and that a reasonable spectator of nan show "would person understood Maher was making a joke, and not a connection of truth astir plaintiff and President Trump."

During nan show successful question, Maher said, “We did an editorial present a fewer years ago…it was basically, who’s Trump f------?”

He past added, “I deliberation it mightiness beryllium Laura Loomer.”

The section aired soon aft Loomer had attended a statesmanlike statement and a 9/11 memorial pinch Trump. She had besides traveled connected Trump’s backstage plane.

The judge besides wrote that Loomer grounded to beryllium reputational harm aliases nonaccomplishment of income complete Maher's comments, peculiarly aft Loomer testified that her income accrued successful 2024 compared to erstwhile years. Moody added that Trump still "continues to solicit her opinions" and invite her to nan White House.

Loomer said in a station connected X Wednesday that nan ruling by Moody, a Clinton appointee, was "outrageous" and that it "should beryllium reversed connected entreaty either astatine nan Eleventh Circuit and astatine nan Supreme Court if necessary."

"It is beyond nan ray for immoderate judge to opportunity that a female tin beryllium accused of having activity pinch a man and person it beryllium brushed disconnected arsenic 'a joke' conscionable because she proclaimed a platonic emotion for their authorities and activity style," Loomer wrote. "The ruling is wholly dishonest and misogynistic."

Loomer did not instantly respond to a petition for further comment. Maher and HBO, named arsenic a co-defendant successful nan case, besides did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Maher testified earlier successful nan lawsuit that he made nan joke based connected Loomer and Trump's "sudden closeness successful nan news that week," according to tribunal documents.

“I could person shown a video of them together and each nan places they were together and each nan things that were going on, nan ‘I emotion you’ nan ‘I emotion you,’ nan blowing of nan kisses, you’re very special, each this stuff, and past conscionable said, ‘Hey, get a room,’” Maher said successful his testimony. “It’s conscionable — this is conscionable comedy. This is — these are jokes.”

Loomer has established herself arsenic a adjacent ally of Trump, having gained a notable pursuing during his first management erstwhile she was banned from different societal media, ride-sharing and costs apps over her anti-Muslim posts. She has since promoted a number of conspiracy theories, including that 9/11 was an wrong job, and a baseless communicative about Haitian immigrants' eating cats.

The dismissal of Loomer's lawsuit comes a time aft a national judge tossed retired a defamation case stemming from a suit revenge by FBI Director Kash Patel against erstwhile MSNBC contributor Frank Figliuzzi complete on-air comments he made astir Patel's alleged partying.

Patel revenge a abstracted defamation suit Monday against The Atlantic over a communicative nan mag published that alleged he drinks to excess and has had unexplained absences during his tenure astatine nan FBI. The Atlantic said it stands by its reporting.