Rights organizations and a cohort of Democratic politicians sharply criticized remarks made by Republican U.S. Representative Randy Fine after he posted on X that "the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one." The comment, made on Sunday and viewed more than 40 million times as of Tuesday afternoon, prompted calls for consequences from across the political spectrum.
Fine, a Republican lawmaker from Florida whose statements about Muslims have previously generated controversy, has rejected the criticism and doubled down on his comments through subsequent social media posts. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) designated Fine as an "anti-Muslim extremist" last year, a label that has resurfaced in reactions to his latest post.
Several prominent Democrats expressed alarm and urged action. California Governor Gavin Newsom called for Fine to resign. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries denounced the lawmaker as an "Islamophobic, disgusting and unrepentant bigot" and urged Republican leaders in Congress - who control both chambers - to hold Fine to account. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said: "To ignore this is to accept and normalize it."
The controversy was not limited to political leaders. Rights advocates condemned the post and pointed to broader trends they see in American society. Those groups have highlighted what they describe as an increase in Islamophobia in recent years, attributing it to factors including hardline immigration policies, white-supremacist rhetoric and the social fallout from Israel's war in Gaza.
Fine's record of comments about Muslim communities has drawn scrutiny before. Reported past remarks cited by critics include calls for the mass expulsion of all Muslims from the United States, labeling Muslims as "terrorists," and statements that mocked the starvation and killing of Palestinians in Gaza. Those prior incidents have fed into the current outcry and the demands for a response from congressional leadership.
Supporters of accountability say ignoring the lawmaker's remarks risks normalizing inflammatory rhetoric, while supporters of Fine have pushed back against what they describe as overreach in the criticism. Fine himself has publicly dismissed the backlash and reiterated his stance on social media platforms.
The dispute underscores ongoing tensions over speech by elected officials and the responsibilities of party leaders in responding to controversial statements. As calls for disciplinary measures or resignation continue from Democrats and civil rights groups, the question now rests with Republican leaders in Congress on whether to take action or allow the comments to stand without formal consequences.