Congressman Randy Fine, who represents Florida’s 6th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, is receiving bipartisan criticism for a tweet comparing Muslims to dogs. “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one,” Fine posted to his X account on Sunday.
The post was in reference to another one made three days earlier by Nerdeen Kiswani, a New York-based activist who co-founded the pro-Palestine group Within Our Lifetime. “Finally, NYC is coming to Islam,” Kiswani said. “Dogs definitely have a place in society, just not as indoor pets. Like we’ve said all along, they are unclean.” She later said that this statement was ‘obviously a joke’.
Reactions
The response to Fine’s tweet has been largely critical, with political leaders on both sides of the aisle condemning his Islamophobic sentiment. Longtime Fox News host Megyn Kelly weighed in on Monday, reposting Fine’s tweet with the comment ‘wtf is this’. Fellow journalist Jake Tapper of CNN also responded, calling the tweet ‘disgusting bigotry’.
California Governor Gavin Newsom was harsh in his criticism of Fine. “Resign now, you racist slob,” Newsom wrote. Accusations of racism against Fine are nothing new. “Diversity is not our strength. Diversity has become suicidal,” the congressman said in December. He went on to call for a travel ban from countries with majority Muslim populations.
“Randy fine posted this genocidal statement about me,” Kiswani said in response to Fine. “Thing is, no one is forcing you to choose. He’s just like the millions of other racists hounding me this past week, looking for a reason to be Islamophobic. Just replace Muslims with any other religion and ask if this is ok.” The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil rights nonprofit, issued a statement on Monday urging congressional leaders to join calls demanding Fine’s resignation.
2026 Opponents Respond
Other critics of Fine’s rhetoric have been those challenging him in the 2026 congressional election. The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported on Monday that Republican primary opponent Aaron Baker characterized Fine’s post as ‘gotcha politics at its worst’. Charles Gambaro, a Palm Coast City Council member who’s also primarying Fine, called him ‘unhinged’ and ‘an absolute embarrassment to our community’.
Fine himself is a professed Jew. Among the issues for which he most strongly advocates is the conflict between Israel and Palestine, in which Fine strongly supports Israel. These views on Muslim Americans, however, have often extended beyond disagreements with their policy views. Last year he told a headdress-wearing resident to “enjoy your terrorist rag” while in the Florida state legislature. Fine has repeatedly touted his Islamophobic views, once saying “if you’re not an Islamophobe, you’re a fool”.
Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.
