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Florida GOP congressman Randy Fine faces backlash after Islamophobic post

Fine faced calls to resign after posting a statement contrasting Muslims with dogs and then defending it.

Florida GOP congressman Randy Fine faces backlash after Islamophobic post
Image · South Florida Sun Sentinel

SOURCE CHECK

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Host credibilitySouth Florida Sun Sentinel79/100 HIGH
This article1 analysis · Oct 10, 2026

Credibility rates South Florida Sun Sentinel, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.

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Republished from The New York Times, with credit to the original publisher.

141 stories · 94–95 · updated Oct 14, 2026

This is The New York Times's own score, and this article is credited to The New York Times. The host score in the Source Check is South Florida Sun Sentinel's.

South Florida Sun Sentinelvia The New York Times
Feb 17, 2026
tl;dr

Rep. Randy Fine faced calls from Democrats to resign after posting that choosing between dogs and Muslims was easy, then defending the remark amid criticism. Republican leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson, remained silent.

Community verdict

6 VOTES
How does this story look for
Randy Fine R · FL-6

Counts every outlet’s report of this story. See all 29

● OPEN
  • Readers of left-leaning coverage: 20% good look
  • Readers of right-leaning coverage: not enough votes yet
Votes cast on this page

Votes cast on this page: ▲ 0 · ◆ 0 · ▼ 0

People in this story

SWIPE →
Randy Fine
R · FL-6

Florida representative who posted and defended the remark

PRIMARY SUBJECT
Mike Johnson
R · LA-4

Speaker of the House, whose silence Jeffries criticized

House minority leader who condemned Fine's post

Ilhan Omar
D · MN-5

Minnesota representative whom Fine had previously attacked

Rashida Tlaib
D · MI-12

Michigan representative whom Fine had previously attacked

ALSO MENTIONED  Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister referenced in the account of Fine's earlier remarks about Omar; Gavin Newsom, California governor who called on Fine to resign; Megyn Kelly, Podcast host who criticized Fine's post; Nerdeen Kiswani, Palestinian Muslim activist whose post prompted Fine's response

Part of a bigger story

17 OUTLETS
Rep. Randy Fine Posts Comparison of Dogs and Muslims

Fine posted a comparison favoring dogs over Muslims and faced criticism, including Democratic calls for resignation, censure or other consequences. Left-leaning outlets and center outlets both focus on criticism and calls for consequences; left-leaning outlets more explicitly frame the remarks as anti-Muslim rhetoric and challenge the later dog-related bill. Center outlets generally report the backlash, with some including Fine’s defense. Right-leaning outlets present Fine’s response and dog-related bill sympathetically and cast Democratic criticism as political opposition.

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