Rep. Mary Miller faces bipartisan fury over "ignorant" Sikh comment
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Rep. Mary Miller leaves a House Republican Conference meeting at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington on Jan. 22. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) is coming under fire from colleagues in both parties after misidentifying a Sikh man as Muslim and saying he should have "never been allowed" to deliver the House's morning prayer.
Why it matters: Even some Republicans are expressing disgust at Miller, a right-wing hardliner who has cultivated a reputation for making inflammatory comments.
- "People should think before they talk or type," vented one House Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity to offer candid thoughts on a fellow Republican.
- Miller's office has not responded to a request for comment on her post.
What happened: After Giani Singh, a Sikh granthi from Southern New Jersey, delivered the House of Representatives' daily prayer, Miller said in a now-deleted post on X that it was "deeply troubling a Muslim was allowed to lead prayer in the House of Representatives this morning."
- "This should have never been allowed to happen," she said, erroneously stating that the U.S. was "founded as a Christian nation" and that "our government should reflect that truth."
- Miller later edited the post to replace "Muslim" with "Sikh," then deleted it altogether.
What they're saying: The House Republican who spoke to Axios said Miller's comments make her look "darn ignorant."
- Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) said in a post on X that "a Sikh prayer on the House floor ... doesn't violate the Constitution, offend my Catholic faith, or throttle my support for Israel," adding, "Live and let live."
- "I'm deeply disappointed by Rep. Mary Miller's comments," Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.), who has previously sponsored Singh as a guest chaplain, said in a statement to Axios.
- The Congressional Asian Pacific Islander Caucus condemned "Rep. Miller's anti-Sikh and anti-Muslim bigotry," calling her post "disgraceful."
Zoom in: Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), who invited Singh to deliver the prayer, said in a statement to Axios that "as a Catholic, I take my faith seriously and I also believe part of being American is respecting other people's faiths too."
- "I was proud to invite a Sikh chaplain to open the House with prayer this morning. The Sikh community is peaceful, generous, and deeply rooted in family and service, values we should all appreciate, no matter our religion," he said.
- "What makes America special is that we can honor different these traditions while staying true to our own. I'll always stand for that kind of mutual respect."
Reality check: The U.S. was not founded as an explicitly Christian nation, and the the First Amendment to the Constitution protects freedom of religion.
- Article VI of the Constitution also states that "no religious Test shall ever be required" to hold public office.
Zoom out: This is not the first time Miller has been embroiled in controversy.
- She said in 2021 that "Hitler was right on one thing. He said, 'Whoever has the youth has the future.'" She later apologized for the remark.
- She also said that Roe v. Wade being overturned in 2022 was a "victory for white life," which her office later claimed was a misread of her prepared remarks.
Editor's note: This story has been updated, and the spelling of granthi corrected.
