Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogles went on an Islamophobic rant on Monday, writing on social media: “Muslims do not belong in American society,” among other statements that drew heated criticism from Democrats.
“None of them belong here,” Ogles wrote in one of several posts on
In another post, the Tennessee congressman included a screenshot showing member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and wrote: “If Muslims want to practice their law and exemplify Mohammedan culture, that is where they belong.”
He also commented on a statement by Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic mayor of New York City who is Muslim, about an attempted bombing Saturday outside his official residence during an anti-Islam demonstration.
Ogles wrote: “The (Department of Justice) can deport you today. All they need to do is read your file.”
Ogles’ remarks were condemned by congressional Democrats as well as groups advocating for religious tolerance, with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) calling Ogles an “anti-Muslim extremist.”
“The First Amendment guarantees religious freedom to everyone in our nation, including American Muslims. If any member of Congress had declared that ‘Jews do not belong in America,’ that politician would rightfully face condemnation and censure,” Edward Ahmed Mitchell, the group’s deputy national director, said in a statement.
In a post on Bluesky, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs wrote: “When members of Congress feel emboldened to engage in blatant Islamophobia and hatred, it must be called out. Anti-Muslim bigotry has no place in our politics, our country or our society.”
Shri Thanedar, a Democratic representative from Michigan, responded to Ogles by pointing out that the Constitution protects religious freedom and that Muslims have lived in what became the United States since the 17th century.
“Maybe it’s YOUR values that don’t belong in American society,” the Michigan lawmaker wrote in X.
Chellie Pingree, a Democrat who represents a Maine district in the House of Representatives, said Ogles and those who agree with him “are not interested in the facts. All they care about is stoking fear and division, scapegoating minorities and trying to mainstream racism and white supremacy.”
Gavin Newsom, governor of California, said Ogle’s comments were “disgusting…America was founded on the idea of religious freedom. Republicans must denounce this now!”
Ogles, who has represented a district stretching south and east of Nashville since 2023, has proposed legislation to permanently halt immigration from America’s adversaries, as well as from several countries with large Muslim populations. During a 2024 meeting with activists protesting civilian deaths caused by the Israeli invasion of Gaza, Ogles said, “I think we should kill them all, if that makes you feel better.”
His social media posts come amid increasingly Islamophobic rhetoric from Republican elected officials at the federal and state levels. Top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries issued a rare complaint against Randy Fine earlier this year after the Florida Republican representative wrote in X: “If we are forced to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.”
“Randy Fine is a disgrace to the United States Congress. He is an Islamophobic, disgusting and unrepentant bigot,” Jeffries said in a statement calling on Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, to “hold this so-called member of Congress accountable.”
In Georgia, Greg Dolezal, a state senator running for lieutenant governor, posted a video showing Muslims shooting guns and carrying out a suicide attack on white suburban Georgians.
“Let’s keep Georgia free from sharia,” the video concludes.
Last year, Greg Abbott, the Republican governor of Texas, designated Cair among “foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations,” prompting Mitchell to warn: “Anyone could be on the chopping block if a governor is able to gain this power to simply declare U.S. organizations banned terrorist groups without ever accusing them of wrongdoing.”
