Tennessee GOP Rep says Muslims ‘don’t belong in American society’  : NPR

Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles is the latest House Republican to make Islamophobic remarks on social media, causing outcry from Democrats and little public response from fellow Republicans.

“Muslims don’t belong in American society,” the Tennessee Republican posted Monday on X. “Pluralism is a lie.”

Ogles, a member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus, has previously called for a “Muslim ban” and plans to propose legislation to ban entry to the U.S. from a set of Muslim-majority countries.

Ogles’ office and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ogles’ post comes on the heels of other House Republicans making Islamophobic comments on social media.

In February, Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., came under fire for posting: “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.”

Another member of the Freedom Caucus, Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., has pushed for immigration changes, posting: “No more Islamic immigration. Denaturalize, deport, repeat.”

Few, if any, Congressional Republicans reacted publicly to any of the posts.

But Congressional Democrats were quick to denounce it.

“Disgusting Islamophobes like you do not belong in Congress or in civilized society,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., posted to social media Monday in response to the post from Ogles.

“This disgusting sh** doesn’t belong in American society,” wrote House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass. “And Republicans who support it don’t belong in Congress.”

Democrats also called on Fine to resign following his statement.

“If anyone said something this vile in any workplace, they’d be fired,” Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz. posted at the time. “Speaker Johnson should reprimand him immediately. And if Fine cannot meet the most basic standard of human dignity, he should resign.”

Fine did not receive any consequences from GOP leadership.