Tensions erupt in Congress over anti-Muslim posts
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Rep. Randy Fine during President Trump's State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol last month. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Congressional Democrats and Republicans clashed furiously on social media Thursday night over blatantly anti-Muslim posts by right-wing House members and senators.
Why it matters: Republicans are growing more emboldened than ever in their expressions of unapologetic Islamophobia in recent weeks in response to a series of violent attacks on U.S. soil amid the Iran war.
- "We need more Islamophobia, not less. Fear of Islam is rational," Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) posted to X Thursday.
- Said Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), responding to a post with side-by-side photos of the September 11th attacks and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, wrote: "The enemy is inside the gates."
- "Name one country that is freer and safer because Muslims moved there," Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) posted.
What they're saying: All three Republican lawmakers were swiftly and harshly condemned by their Democratic colleagues.
- Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) responded to Fine's post: "WTF is wrong with you? After a day like today, we need unity, not more hatred and division."
- Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.) wrote of Fine: "What an awful f*cking idiot. I think this is the guy who needs to be deported."
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in response to Tuberville's post: "This is mindless hate ... Islamophobic hate like this is fundamentally un-American and we must confront and overcome it whenever it rears its ugly head."
Between the lines: The Republicans' posts came in response to a simultaneous attacks on Thursday at a synagogue in Michigan and a college in Virginia.
- The Department of Homeland Security identified the suspect in the Michigan attack as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Lebanon.
- Ghazali allegedly drove a car filled with explosives into Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, a suburb of Detroit, but no one was hurt.
- The suspect in a shooting at Old Dominion University that left one dead and two others injured, has been identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, who was previously convicted for attempting to provide material support to ISIS.
Of note: Fine went so far as to double down on a post he made last month that led to calls for his censure, in which he said the "choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one."
- "To think they wondered why I'd choose dogs," he posted Friday night.
- Some Republicans advocated concrete steps be taken in response to the attacks, with Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) calling for "mass remigration" for Muslims, posting: "No more Muslims immigrating to America."
- Ogles called to repeal the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also known as Hart-Celler, which abolished quotas restricting certain groups from immigrating to the U.S.
- Rep. Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) said he will introduce a bill to "denaturalize and deport any naturalized citizen" who commits or plots to commit an act of terrorism, joins a terrorist organization or "otherwise aides and abets terrorism against the American people."
What to watch: The blowup has renewed chatter on the Democratic side about forcing a vote to censure Fine.
- "Randy Fine's vile racism should have already resulted in censure," Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) wrote on X.
- Addressing House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Ansari added: "Will you reprimand Rep. Fine? Strip him of his committee assignments? Anything? Or does the Republican caucus condone racism?"
- A spokesperson for Johnson did not immediately respond to Axios' Thursday night request for comment.
