[Angelino97]

You can pretty much say anything about a high level public official, and it's protected by the First Amendment.

Laura Loomer isn't a public official, but she is a public figure. She intentionally injects herself into the public spotlight, discussing matters of great public interest. So she'd have tough time suing Maher.

[The Duke]

"...So she'd have tough time suing Maher."

Then sue him for 10x as much.

[Phlyer]

You can pretty much say anything about a high level public official, and it's protected by the First Amendment.

No, it's not.

What the US Supreme Court decided is that you can't sue for slander/libel unless you can prove a thought crime - actual malice - on the part of the person who insulted/attacked someone. That's a Supreme Court decision that is not justified by the First Amendment.

What the First Amendment says is that you can't be prevented from saying it in the first place - not that there are no consequences if you say something harmful. It's 'judge-made' law that protects public attackers, not the Constitution or even an actual law as passed by Congress in the Constitutional process.

[cgbg]

She has to prove intentional malice.

That might not be that difficult in this particular case.