Lawmakers Blast GOP Congressman For Anti-Muslim Post

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC – A sharp political firestorm has erupted in Washington following inflammatory remarks by Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles, who stated on social media that “Muslims don’t belong in American society” and “pluralism is a lie.”

 The Republican congressman made these comments in the wake of reports regarding an attempted terrorist attack in New York City involving suspects allegedly aligned with ISIS. Explosives were thrown at Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home.

The statement immediately drew a wave of condemnation from across the political spectrum, with Rep.Ami Bera (D-CA) calling for a bipartisan rejection of what he described as “vile and un-American” comments. Bera emphasized that “the First Amendment protects freedom of religion, and that includes our Muslim neighbors, friends, and fellow Americans,” while urging his Republican colleagues to condemn this “pure and unbridled bigotry.”

The backlash included a pointed historical rebuttal from Congressman Shri Thanedar (D-MI), who noted that “the founders put freedom of religion in the FIRST Amendment for a reason.” Thanedar reminded Ogles that Muslims have lived in America since the 1600s and that “E Pluribus Unum, an ode to our pluralism, has been our country’s traditional motto since 1782.” He concluded his response by stating, “maybe it’s YOUR values that don’t belong in American society.”

 Other Democratic leaders joined the fray, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries labeling the Tennessee representative a “malignant clown.” Meanwhile, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam countered the rhetoric by sharing images of himself celebrating iftar with Virginia Muslim communities, asserting that “Muslims — and people of all faiths — belong in America. Hate does not.”

The calls for bipartisan condemnation were met with criticism from within the Republican sphere as well. Richard Grenell, a special envoy for President Donald Trump and interim president of the Kennedy Center, responded to the post by telling Ogles to “stop attacking the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.”

This latest controversy adds to a pattern of provocative behavior from Ogles, who has previously sparked backlash for anti-Muslim comments, including a call for the “denaturalization and deportation” of a New York City mayoral candidate – Mamdani.