Democrats and rights advocates demand accountability after Florida’s Randy Fine posts inflammatory statement, with CAIR calling him a designated extremist.
WASHINGTON – Republican Representative Randy Fine is under mounting pressure from Democratic leaders and civil rights groups after posting on social media that “the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one,” the latest in a long history of anti-Muslim rhetoric from the Florida lawmaker.
The Sunday post on X, which amassed over 40 million views by Tuesday, drew swift condemnation from high-profile Democrats including California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called for Fine’s resignation. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries labeled Fine an “Islamophobic, disgusting and unrepentant bigot” and urged Republican leadership—which holds the majority in Congress—to take disciplinary action.
“To ignore this is to accept and normalize it,” said Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, amplifying calls for accountability.
A Pattern of Extremism
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) designated Fine an anti-Muslim extremist last year, citing a track record that includes calls for the mass expulsion of all Muslims from the US, labeling Muslims as “terrorists,” and mocking the starvation and killing of Palestinians in Gaza.
Fine has dismissed the criticism and doubled down on his remarks, refusing to apologize or retract the statement.
Broader Context
Rights advocates point to a worrying rise in Islamophobia across the United States, driven by hard-line immigration policies, white-supremacist rhetoric, and domestic tensions stemming from Israel’s war in Gaza. They warn that unchecked hate speech from elected officials normalizes discrimination and violence against Muslim communities.
As of Tuesday, Republican leaders had not commented on whether they would hold Fine accountable.
