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After anti-India posts, Laura Loomer asks for money on app built by Indians. CEO reacts

Laura Loomer had something of a foot-in-the-mouth moment after asking a follower to donate money to her through an app built by Indians.

Published on: Dec 27, 2024, 13:47:21 IST
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Laura Loomer had something of a foot-in-the-mouth moment after asking a follower to donate money to her through an app built by Indians. Loomer’s request for a donation came after days of sharing hate-filled posts against Indians on the social media platform X.

Laura Loomer arrives ahead of former U.S. President Donald Trump's debate with Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 10, 2024. (REUTERS)
Laura Loomer arrives ahead of former U.S. President Donald Trump's debate with Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 10, 2024. (REUTERS)

On Friday, a follower asked the American far-right political activist for her banking details so he could donate money to her. Loomer responded saying that she had been banned by most major payment apps like Venmo and PayPal, but the follower could still send her money through Buy Me a Coffee, a platform that enables creators to receive financial support from their audience.

What Loomer did not know was that Buy Me a Coffee is an app built by two Indian brothers, and the company’s Indian co-founder and CEO was as amused as the rest of the internet at her blunder.

Laura Loomer’s blunder

On December 27, Laura Loomer asked a follower to donate money to her through Buy Me a Coffee.

“Big tech hates me. I’m banned on Cash app, Venmo and PayPal because these people want to strangle me and have been subjecting me to their caste system for YEARS,” she wrote on X, adding: “You can support my work here on Buy Me a coffee.”

Her request for money came after days of posting anti-India content on X, starting with her potshots at the appointment of Sriram Krishnan as Donald Trump’s AI advisor.

The polarising far-right activist claimed that Krishnan wants to take jobs away from Americans and outsource them to Indians, with her posts sparking a raging storm of racism against Indians. In separate posts, she also called for an end to the use of H1B visas, which allows highly skilled foreign employees to live and work in the United States.

“Our country was built by white Europeans, actually. Not third-world invaders from India,” she wrote in one particularly vitriolic post.

Unfortunately for Loomer, the irony of asking for donations on an app built by Indians was not lost on the internet.

Indian CEO reacts

Buy Me a Coffee was launched in 2018 by Jijo Sunny and Joseph Sunny, two brothers who grew up in India. Jijo, who hails from Kerala and now lives in London, was much amused by Loomer’s foot-in-the-mouth moment.

“Double yikes,” he wrote, sharing a screenshot of Loomer’s post.

In the comments section, hundreds of people expressed their amusement and others urged Jijo to ban Laura Loomer from his platform.

(Also read: Laura Loomer starts war against H1B, 'I didn't vote for an extension, great replacement is real')

  • Sanya Jain
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Sanya Jain

    Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience -- from viral videos to human interest copies that spark a conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and finding newsworthy angles in viral content. She writes about a wide range of topics, from business leaders and social issues to everyday people and internet trends. She enjoys speaking to content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs and turning their experiences and stories into engaging, relatable articles.Read More