US Lawmakers Demand Resignation of Congressman Randy Fine Over Anti-Muslim Remarks
US lawmakers across party lines have called for the resignation of Florida Congressman Randy Fine following comments widely condemned as anti-Muslim and Islamophobic.
The backlash erupted after Fine wrote on X on Sunday: “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.” The post was a response to comments by Palestinian-American activist Nerdeen Kiswani, who had said dogs “definitely have a place in society, just not as indoor pets,” describing them as “unclean.”
California Representative Ro Khanna described Fine’s statement as “disgusting bigotry,” calling for his censure as a matter of “morality and decency, not politics.”
Arizona Representative Yassamin Ansari said Fine has “repeatedly dehumanized Muslims without consequence,” urging Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House, to reprimand him. She added that if Fine cannot meet “basic standards of human dignity,” he should step down.
New Jersey Representative Rob Menendez questioned whether Johnson, as a Christian, would speak out against the rhetoric or “continue to remain silent.”
California Representative Eric Swalwell warned that Republicans who fail to condemn the remarks are “only giving it more oxygen,” while Texas Representative Marc Veasey labelled Fine’s comments “blatantly racist.”
Maryland Representative Johnny Olszewski and Ohio Representative Shontel Brown also condemned what they described as “blatant Islamophobia,” saying such conduct was unacceptable from a sitting member of Congress.
California Governor Gavin Newsom went further, publicly demanding Fine’s resignation and branding him a “racist slob.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation in the United States, issued a blistering statement, describing Fine as “a modern Klansman and Nazi all wrapped into one.” The group cited his past remarks, including calls for the destruction of “mainstream Muslims” and the genocide of people in Gaza, and urged congressional leaders to take immediate action to force his resignation.
As of Monday, Fine had not issued a formal apology, while pressure continued to mount in Congress for disciplinary action or his removal from office.
