Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles doubled down on Tuesday after saying "Muslims don't belong in American society," which had sparked widespread condemnation and prompted a Muslim advocacy group to designate him as an "anti-Muslim extremist."
Top Democrats like California Gov. Gavin Newsom and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called those comments "disgusting" and Islamophobic.
Muslim advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations, which documents anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias in the U.S., said it designated Ogles as "an anti-Muslim extremist" after his social media comments.
"Muslims don't belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie," Ogles, of Tennessee, said on X on Monday.
He called for expulsion of Muslims from the U.S. on Tuesday. "Muslims are unable to assimilate; they all have to go back," he posted.
Over the years, rights advocates have attributed Islamophobia to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks; and more recently to anti-immigration sentiment, white supremacy and the fallout of Israel's war in Gaza.
They have also criticized the crackdown by Republican President Donald Trump's administration on immigration and pro-Palestinian protests.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, in comments to reporters on Tuesday, declined to condemn Ogles' remarks.
© 2026 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.