Ex-Lashkar-e-Taiba Operative Appointed to Trump’s White House Advisory Board

International Desk

May 18, 2025: A former operative of Pakistan’s banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), who participated in its training camps and facilitated jihadist activities in Kashmir, has been appointed to Donald Trump’s “White House Advisory Board of Lay Leaders.”

According to investigative journalist Laura Loomer, Ismail Royer, formerly known as Randall Todd Royer before converting to Islam in 1992, was involved with LeT’s training camps in Pakistan during 2000. He reportedly facilitated other jihadists’ entry into these camps, where they received weapons training.

In 2004, Royer was convicted by a U.S. court for his involvement with the “Virginia Jihad Network” and sentenced to 20 years in prison, of which he served 13. His activities included participation in armed operations in Kashmir and aiding jihadist recruits.

The appointment has sparked widespread controversy in India and the U.S., even among Trump’s allies. Critics argue that including former jihadists on high-level advisory committees poses significant national security risks.

The Trump campaign defended the decision, stating that the advisory board aims to promote interfaith dialogue and religious freedom. They emphasized that the inclusion of figures like Royer symbolizes that “rehabilitation and transformation are possible.”

Indian security analysts and foreign policy experts have condemned the move as “diplomatically insensitive,” citing LeT’s role in major terror attacks in India, such as the 2001 Parliament attack and the 2008 Mumbai attacks.