Convicted Islamic Terrorists Appointed to White House Advisory Board for “Religious Liberty”

There are vipers in the Trump administration.

A convicted jihadi terrorist, Ismail Royer, who trained with Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and served 13 years of a 20-year sentence for aiding Islamist militants, has been appointed to the White House Advisory Board of Lay Leaders under the Trump administration.

The announcement is posted on the official White House website.

How is it that my esteemed colleagues, religious scholars like Robert Spencer, Ibn Warraq or brave activists like Wafa Sultan or Noni Darwish are never considered for these posts? There is no one more qualified. But jihadists are appointed to positions of influence and power whether Democrats or Republicans are in power. And those of us who have been fighting in defense of freedom continue to be smeared, defamed, libeled.

Imagine, jihadis on a board for religious liberty. You can’t make this stuff up.

EXCLUSIVE:

🚨 Islamic JIHADIST who traveled 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… pic.twitter.com/d1HHHGUFYX

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) May 17, 2025

But wait… THERE’S MORE: https://t.co/Yoc5Ph5dNQ

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) May 17, 2025

Read this statement of facts from the DOJ in the criminal case against Ismail Royer, confirming his involvement in terrorist activity. pic.twitter.com/xvTRlI4d1r

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) May 17, 2025

Here’s the archived link from the White House website:https://t.co/8YEn9xAIuy

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) May 17, 2025

Laura Loomer broke the story here:

Islamic JIHADIST who traveled 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 🚨

Just when I thought the VETTING CRISIS at the WhiteHouse couldn’t get any worse, I am now literally having a heart attack over today’s announcement.

A literal Muslim Brotherhood HAMAS jihadist named Ismail Royer who was found by the DOJ to have traveled to Pakistan to train in a terrorist camp and who was part of the Virginia Jihadi Network that trained Islamic terrorists to attack America & was investigated by the FBI is now on the White House Advisory Board of Lay Leaders that was ANNOUNCED TODAY!

In 2003, Royer was indicted on terrorism-related charges, including conspiracy to levy war against the United States and providing material support to al-Qaeda and LeT. He plead guilty in 2004 to aiding and abetting the use of firearms and explosives, receiving a 20-year sentence and serving 13 years.

Source: https://justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2004/January/04_crm_030.htm

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Today, the White House announced on their website that the Trump Administration has named their “Advisory Board Members to the Religious Liberty Commission”.

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, & that this was a vetting failure by his staff.

One of the individuals named to the White House Advisory Board of Lay Leaders is Ismail Royer.

Ismail Royer, born Randall Todd Royer, is an American convert to Islam with a history of terrorism-related activities that raises serious concerns about his suitability for a position on the Trump advisory board. In the 1990s, Royer embraced Islam and became involved in Muslim advocacy, but his experiences fighting in the Bosnian War and engaging with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Pakistan in 2000 marked a turn toward jihadi militancy. His activities with LeT, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, included propaganda, firing at Indian positions in Kashmir, and possessing weapons, demonstrating a commitment to violent jihadist causes.

Post-9/11, Royer was a key figure in the “Virginia Jihad Network,” organizing paintball training and facilitating travel to LeT camps for weapons training, with some members aiming to support the Taliban against U.S. forces.

His guilty plea in 2004 acknowledged facilitating others’ access to LeT training and supporting Taliban efforts.

Royer was released from prison in 2017 and has a long, documented history of enabling terrorist activities and supporting jihadist causes remains a significant concern for any advisory role.

**Why He’s Unfit to Serve on the Trump Advisory Board**

Ismail Royer’s documented history of terrorism-related activities renders him unfit to serve on the Trump advisory board, particularly given the board’s likely focus on national security and policy. His involvement with Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist organization 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.

His guilty plea confirmed his role in enabling others to pursue violent jihad, and his association with groups like HAMAS.

How did he pass any vetting? This is INSANE AND UNACCEPTABLE!