US lawmaker faces backlash over saying Muslims ‘don’t belong in American society’

Republican lawmaker Andy Ogles drew sharp criticism Monday after writing on US social media platform X that Muslims "don't belong in American society," prompting a backlash from several Democratic lawmakers and at least one fellow Republican.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries sharply criticized the remark, calling Ogles a "malignant clown and pathological liar," and saying "disgusting Islamophobes like you do not belong in Congress or in civilized society."

Representative Eric Swalwell said the Muslims in his California district are "parents, entrepreneurs, police officers," adding: "They are American … This tweet is NOT American."

Rep. Judy Chu called the comment "abhorrent," saying that "racism and hate don't belong in American society."

Ogles wrote on X that "Muslims don't belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie," sparking widespread pushback.

US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Richard Grenell, a registered Republican, also pushed back against the criticism, writing, "Stop attacking the First Amendment to the United States Constitution," the part of the charter prohibiting an "establishment of religion."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also criticized Ogles, branding him an "anti-Muslim extremist."

CAIR Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said in a statement that the First Amendment "guarantees religious freedom to everyone in our nation, including American Muslims."

"If any member of Congress had declared that 'Jews do not belong in America,' that politician would rightfully face condemnation and censure," he said.

Ogles also said in a statement that he plans to introduce a bill that would ban immigration to the US from Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen, saying "mass Islamic immigration, legal or illegal, has transformed America and brought destructive consequences."

Ogles previously drew criticism in 2024 after a video circulated showing him responding to a question from pro-Palestine activists about children killed in Gaza by saying "we should kill them all."