Ismail Royer, who reportedly served 20 years in prison on terror-related charges, has now been named to the White House’ Advisory Board of Lay Leaders.
Announcing his appointment, the White House on Friday wrote, “Today, President Donald Trump has designated the following individuals to serve on the advisory boards of the Religious Liberty Commission.”
“On May 1st, the President signed an executive order establishing the Religious Liberty Commission. He designated Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick as chair and Dr. Ben Carson as vice chair, as well as 11 other commission members. Today, he has designated individuals to serve on the three advisory boards comprised of religious leaders, legal experts, and lay advisors, respectively.”
According to the White House statement, Royer serves as director of the Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team for the Religious Freedom Institute. Since converting to Islam in 1992, he has studied religious sciences with traditional Islamic scholars and spent over a decade working at non-profit Islamic organisations.
Royer has worked with nonprofits to promote peace between faiths, the statement said, adding that his writing has appeared in multiple publications and he co-authored an article on Islam on Religious Violence Today: Faith and Conflict in the Modern World.
Donald Trump’s longtime supporter Laura Loomer has strongly reacted to the announcement, terming it “insane and unacceptable”.
In a post on X, Loomer wrote, “Islamic JIHADIST who travelled to Pakistan to train in an Islamic terror camp and served a 20-year prison sentence in the US for Jihadi terrorist activities has now been listed as a member of the White House Advisory Board of Lay Leaders, Announced Today on the official White House website.”
Questioning the “vetting” process of the White House, she said the announcement left her stunned. “Just when I to hought the VETTING CRISIS at the @WhiteHouse couldn’t get any worse, I am now literally having a heart attack over today’s announcement,” she wrote.
An outspoken far-right activist and one of Trump’s most vocal defenders, Loomer further added, “This was likely not done by President Trump, but instead his staff. It’s the latest example of the White House vetting crisis. I highly doubt President Trump was even involved in this. I am willing to bet he was not involved, and that this was a vetting failure by his staff.”
Citing his terrorism-related past, Loomer argued that Royer should not hold a position on the Trump advisory board.
According to her, Royer’s involvement with Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist organisation responsible for attacks like the 2008 Mumbai bombings, and his role in the Virginia Jihad Network, which trained for violent jihad and sought to aid the Taliban post-9/11, demonstrate a past alignment with anti-American and extremist ideologies.
“These actions, including facilitating access to terrorist training camps and possessing weapons for militant purposes, led to his 2004 conviction and 20-year sentence. Such a record raises serious questions about his judgment and loyalty to U.S. interests, which are critical for advising on matters of national importance,” she wrote.
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