Republicans are making Muslims a campaign issue

In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, in a close race for another term, attacked a proposed Muslim-led development and called for an investigation into what he described as efforts to create “sharia courts,” a claim developers and civil rights groups disputed.

In Alabama, where Muslims make up less than half a percent of the population, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican running for governor, warned “the enemy is inside the gates,” referring to what he called radical Islam.

The comments reflect an effort to make Muslims and Islam part of the election debate ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms that will determine whether Democrats can wrest control of Congress from President Donald Trump's Republican Party.

Muslims become a campaign issue

Critics say the rhetoric unfairly targets Muslims, while Republicans say they are raising legitimate concerns about security, extremism and the role of religion in public life.

Abbott campaign spokesman Eduardo Leal said the Texas governor's actions regarding the development were aimed at alleged illegal conduct, not religious beliefs.

There are about 5.5 million Muslims in the United States, up from 2.4 million in 2007, according to Pew Research Center. They account for about 1.6% of the country's population.

Muslim Americans achieved a series of political milestones in recent years, building on the election of several Muslims to the U.S. House of Representatives. New York City elected its first Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani, last year, while El-Sayed could become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. In Virginia, Ghazala Hashmi became the first Muslim woman elected to statewide office when she won the lieutenant governor's race.

The rhetoric spread to House races, as well.

Republican Reps. Keith Self and Chip Roy, both of Texas, organized a "Sharia Free America Caucus" and Republican Rep. Randy Fine of Florida introduced legislation that he says will "tackle the rise" of sharia law in the U.S.

El-Sayed at center of debate

As the only Muslim running for statewide office in the country, the American-born El-Sayed is the focus of anti-Islamic rhetoric around the country.

Vance's criticism centered on comments El-Sayed made after a man drove a vehicle into a suburban Detroit synagogue in March while children were in the building. El-Sayed condemned the attack but also said of the assailant that "hurt people hurt people," noting some of the man's relatives in Lebanon recently were killed in an Israeli airstrike.

El-Sayed later said his remarks may have been misconstrued and apologized.

In response to Vance's attack, El-Sayed said: "Evil is ripping healthcare away from working people in exchange for tax breaks for billionaires. Evil is making people pay more for groceries and gas while pushing for trade wars and actual war. Evil is dividing people for your own gain."

El-Sayed faced Republican criticism for associating with Hasan Piker, a left-wing social media influencer who has said the U.S. deserved the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

In a podcast interview, El-Sayed discussed the feelings of isolation some Americans experience, which he blamed on cellphones and social media, and contrasted it with the sense of community his relatives in Egypt enjoy.

In response, Tuberville posted on social media, “If you hate America so much, go live in Egypt.”

Debate over political motives

The public has doubts about Trump, whose approval rating is stuck at about 33%. Their top concerns: the high cost of living, the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and Trump's tariffs on foreign goods.

Public attitudes toward Israel shifted, particularly among Democrats, with polls showing growing sympathy for Palestinians and increasing opposition to U.S. military aid.

Aaron Hughes, a University of Rochester religious studies professor and scholar of Islam and Judaism, said the increased focus on Muslims comes as Republicans struggle to gain political traction on issues such as the cost of living, the Iran war and immigration.

"If you can wrap yourself in the flag and you can criticize Muslims and Islam, that means you don't really have to deal with the issues," he said in a telephone interview, calling it "fear-mongering."

"You're taking this gross characterization of a community and making connections with Hamas, with Iran … I find it most shocking that there's this conflation," he said.

The rhetorical attacks occur, Hughes noted, despite many Muslims holding conservative beliefs that dovetail with Republican orthodoxy, such as opposition to some abortion procedures and same-sex marriage.

There is a history in the U.S. of targeting minorities in political campaigns, but the rhetoric became sharper, according to experts.

Two years ago, some Republicans running for public office, including Trump, spread the false claim that immigrant Haitians living in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pets.

"They're eating the dogs! The people that came in. They're eating the cats! They're eating … the pets of the people that live there," Trump said in a 2024 presidential debate.

While Trump is not on the ballot, the public's low support for his performance could be a drag on his fellow Republicans.

Ashik Siddique, co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America, said it would be wrong to hang Islamophobia on just one political party. "Unfortunately sometimes Democrats in leadership have also fed into this" anti-Islamic rhetoric, he said.

He referred to a radio interview last October when former Gov. Andrew Cuomo ran as an independent candidate in the New York City mayoral election before Mamdani defeated him.

"Can you imagine Mamdani in the seat" during the Sept. 11, 2001, attack? Cuomo asked the show's host.

Beyond the campaign trail

The issue extended beyond the campaign trail.

In August, Abbott urged a federal probe of two Texas airports over Islamic ritual washing facilities, arguing government-owned airports could not favor one religion over another. His campaign rejected accusations that it was targeting Muslims because of their faith.

Houston's Democratic Mayor John Whitmire said the airports' ablution room and adjoining prayer room are "open to all travelers, employees and stakeholders" regardless of faith and "nobody receives preferential access, and nobody is excluded."