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Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Fine of Florida faced calls for resignation after comparing Muslims to dogs in a post on the social media platform X.
“If they force us to make a choice, it is not hard to choose between dogs and Muslims,” Fine wrote.
The remarks drew criticism from Democratic lawmakers and civil society groups.
Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Brendan Boyle called Fine “an ugly bigot” and said he should not be in Congress.
Arizona Democratic Rep. Yassamin Ansari described the comments as “extremely vile,” saying that if such remarks were made in any workplace, the individual would be fired.
“If he cannot meet the most basic standards of human dignity, he should resign,” she said, adding that Fine has repeatedly dehumanized Muslims without consequences.
California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna called the comments “disgusting bigotry” and urged that Fine be condemned.
New Jersey Democratic Rep. Rob Menendez questioned whether House Speaker Mike Johnson would remain silent in the face of what he described as hate speech, while California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell said Republican silence empowers such rhetoric.
Texas Democratic Rep. Marc Veasey called Fine’s behavior “openly racist.”
Maryland Democratic Rep. Johnny Olszewski and Ohio Democratic Rep. Shontel Brown described the remarks as “open Islamophobia.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom labeled Fine “a racist” and called for his resignation.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the U.S., also demanded that Fine step down.
Fine’s remarks prompted criticism over what some described as double standards.
Turkish American political commentator Cenk Uygur said similar remarks directed at another faith group would result in serious consequences.
He suggested that if the same statements were made about Jews, the individual would face severe repercussions, adding that nothing would happen in Fine’s case.
British journalist Piers Morgan also criticized Fine on social media over his remarks.
Jewish American commentator Brian Krassenstein said that if the word "Muslim" were replaced with "Jewish" in Fine’s statement, the speaker would be removed from office within seconds.
Fine has previously drawn criticism for statements about Muslims and Palestinians.
He has called for a “Muslim travel ban” and advocated for what he described as the radical deportation of mainstream Muslim legal and illegal immigrants.
In one post, he said, “Mainstream Muslims have declared war on us.”
During Israel’s attacks on Gaza, Fine said the Palestinian cause was “a bad cause” and made remarks referencing the atomic bombings of Japan.
In 2021, he responded to a post about a Palestinian child rescued from rubble by saying, “I sleep just fine; thanks for the picture.”
Fine has also faced criticism for posts about Muslim members of Congress, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.
He drew further backlash after referring to Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who died in the occupied West Bank, as a “Muslim terrorist.”
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