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Tennessee GOP Rep says Muslims 'don't belong in American society' 

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) is seen here at the U.S. Capitol on February 03, 2026.
Heather Diehl/Getty Images
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Getty Images North America
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) is seen here at the U.S. Capitol on February 03, 2026.

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.

Copyright 2026 NPR

Barbara Sprunt
Barbara Sprunt is a correspondent on NPR's Washington Desk, covering Congress. She's previously reported and produced NPR's political coverage at the White House, on the campaign trail, and for the NPR Politics Podcast. She is an alumnus of the Paul Miller Reporting Fellowship at the National Press Foundation. Sprunt got her start in radio at as an intern on NPR's Weekend All Things Considered and Tell Me More with Michel Martin. She graduated from American University in Washington, D.C. [Copyright 2025 NPR]

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