Democratic leaders and rights groups call for resignation, labeling the Florida Republican an ‘unrepentant bigot’ as Islamophobia concerns mount.
WASHINGTON – Republican Congressman Randy Fine is facing intense bipartisan backlash after posting on social media that “the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one,” remarks that rights advocates and Democratic leaders have condemned as blatantly Islamophobic.
The Sunday post on X, which had garnered over 40 million views by Tuesday, is the latest in a long pattern of inflammatory statements from the Florida lawmaker. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) designated Fine an anti-Muslim extremist last year, citing past comments that include calls for the mass expulsion of all Muslims from the US, labeling Muslims as “terrorists,” and mocking the starvation and killing of Palestinians in Gaza.
Calls for Accountability
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries did not hold back in his condemnation, calling Fine an “Islamophobic, disgusting and unrepentant bigot.” He urged Republican leadership, which holds the majority in Congress, to take disciplinary action.
“To ignore this is to accept and normalize it,” added Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, amplifying calls for accountability.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also joined the chorus demanding Fine’s resignation.
Fine, however, has dismissed the criticism and doubled down on his remarks, refusing to apologize or retract the statement.
A Broader Trend
Rights advocates say the incident reflects a worrying rise in Islamophobia across the United States, fueled by hard-line immigration rhetoric, white-supremacist narratives, and domestic tensions stemming from Israel’s war in Gaza.
CAIR and other advocacy groups have called on House leadership to formally censure Fine, warning that unchecked hate speech from elected officials normalizes discrimination and violence against Muslim communities.
As of Tuesday, Republican leaders had not commented on whether they would take action against their colleague.
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