A pair of House Republican leaders refused on Tuesday to condemn anti-Muslim comments made on social media made by multiple members of the party.
Speaker Mike Johnson has been under pressure to condemn remarks made by Reps. Randy Fine and Andy Ogles. Ogles posted on X that “Muslims don’t belong in American society,” while Fine said that it would be better to live among dogs than Muslims.
While some Democrats suggested that the two should be censured or resign for their comments, Republicans have largely remained silent about their colleagues’ remarks.
When asked about the posts, Johnson did not critique the anti-Muslim messaging. Rather, he said lawmakers have the right to oppose “the imposition of Sharia law.”
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“Look, there’s a lot of energy in the country, and a lot of popular sentiment, that the demand to impose Sharia law in America is a serious problem,” Johnson said at a news conference at the Trump Doral resort. “That’s what animates me.”
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In an interview with reporters, House Whip Tom Emmer also refused to comment on whether he agrees with the anti-Muslim sentiment growing within the party — instead repeatedly denouncing “radical ideology” and refusing to say whether he considers all Muslim people to fall into that category.
“Again, people who commit terrorist acts and are committed to a radical ideology who have come to this country and refuse to assimilate and rip off the generosity of American citizens — they don’t belong here,” Emmer told reporters.
Despite backlash for his recent posts, Ogles has doubled down on his statement that Muslims “must be banned” from the United States.
“America is a product of English Christian culture. NOT Islamic culture. NOT progressive culture,” Ogles posted Tuesday. “If we don’t cease to import islam, the West falls.”
Rep. Brandon Gill has also posted anti-Muslim comments. Over 20 members of the House GOP, including Gill, Ogles and Fine, are also members of the recently formed Sharia Free America Caucus.
However, a select few within the party have disagreed with their colleagues’ anti-Muslim remarks.
“That’s inappropriate,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez told a reporter Tuesday. “With every group there is a good, there is a bad, and there’s an ugly. And to say that generally like that, that’s not right.”
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