Laura Loomer’s attacks on Black women in politics escalated Friday again after Joy Reid defended Florida Senate nominee Angie Nixon and challenged Democrats to respond more forcefully to Loomer’s rhetoric. Loomer answered by directing a string of racist and sexist insults at Reid, then accused the former MSNBC host of essentially calling for her assassination.
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The exchange began during “The Joy Reid Show,” where Reid discussed the backlash surrounding Loomer’s recent attacks on Nixon. In a clip reposted by Loomer, Reid told Democrats, “You better go DEFCON ONE on Laura Loomer, and you better do it today,” before urging them to “go as hard on that racist, Islamophobic beast” as they have on political streamer Hasan Piker.Reid’s point appeared to center on what she views as a difference in how Democratic leaders respond to controversial figures on the left and right. She argued that Piker has faced significant Democratic criticism while Loomer has continued making inflammatory comments about Black political figures.
Loomer responded on her X account by calling Reid a “ghetto, black, communist, b***h.” She also invoked the stereotypical Black name “Shaniqua,” mocked Reid’s hair, and claimed Black people could see through what she described as Reid’s “facade.” Loomer then argued in a separate post that Reid’s use of “DEFCON ONE” was “basically calling for me to be assassinated.”
That interpretation goes significantly beyond what Reid actually said in the clip. According to historical documents from the U.S. State Department, DEFCON stands for “defense readiness condition.” Government material describes DEFCON 5 as the lowest readiness level and DEFCON 1 as the highest. The term is also commonly used figuratively to describe going on maximum alert or responding with maximum intensity. Reid did not explicitly call for Loomer to be killed in the remarks reviewed by Baller Alert.
The feud did not come out of nowhere. According to Reuters, Laura Loomer recently called Nixon a “ghetto, black, communist” and previously grouped Nixon with Reps. Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley, former Rep. Cori Bush and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in another post filled with degrading language aimed at Black women. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, civil rights attorney Ben Crump and former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene were among those who condemned Loomer’s rhetoric.
Nixon has also become a much bigger national political figure in recent weeks. According to the Associated Press, the Jacksonville state representative pulled off an upset in Florida’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary, defeating Alexander Vindman. Nixon, a democratic socialist who has campaigned on proposals including universal health care and child care, will face Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in November.
That political backdrop helps explain Reid’s anger. Loomer’s rhetoric is not simply being directed at an online personality. It has increasingly targeted a Black woman who is now the Democratic nominee for one of the most prominent offices on Florida’s ballot.
Hasan Piker’s name entered the dispute because he has become his own Democratic Party headache. The Associated Press reported that Piker campaigned with Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El Sayed and has faced years of criticism for provocative commentary. That includes his infamous 2019 statement that “America deserved 9/11.” Piker later said the wording was inappropriate and explained that he was arguing that U.S. foreign policy contributed to the conditions that produced the attacks, not that the Americans killed deserved to die.
More recently, Piker drew renewed criticism over comments about Israel, Zionism, and American Jews. According to CBS News, Democratic Rep. Hillary Scholten condemned his rhetoric, while House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the suggestion that American Jews were inviting violence against themselves. Semafor also reported that El Sayed said he had no plans to campaign with Piker again.
That context matters because Loomer portrayed Reid’s comments as though she had simply declared Piker innocent of every controversy surrounding him. Reid’s actual argument was narrower. She was questioning why Democrats have publicly distanced themselves from Piker while, in her view, there has not been equivalent political pressure surrounding Laura Loomer’s repeated attacks on Black women.
Reid has operated independently since MSNBC canceled “The ReidOut” in 2025, according to the Associated Press. She launched “The Joy Reid Show” several months later and has continued offering political commentary outside cable television.
What started with Loomer attacking Angie Nixon has now expanded into a much broader fight over racism, political accountability and the standards parties apply to controversial voices on their own side. Loomer’s assassination accusation adds another layer to the dispute, but the underlying question Reid raised remains the one driving the confrontation: who gets condemned, who gets defended, and who gets treated as politically untouchable.
