RFK Jr. says 500 million Arabs 'don't produce science' at a Rogers campaign event; CAIR calls for his firing
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a Grand Rapids campaign event for Mike Rogers that 500 million Arabs 'don't produce science' or win major prizes. CAIR called for his firing, and Democrats and health care advocates condemned the remarks.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
Kennedy spoke at the event with Senate candidate Mike Rogers and gubernatorial candidate Rep. John James. According to the Associated Press, he said that Rogers had been talking about the Muslim Brotherhood and that it was something he could talk about, cited the literary tradition of Islamic civilization in the 13th century, and said that tradition had been destroyed by the Muslim Brotherhood. He then said the world's 500 million Arabs do not produce science or literature and do not win the Nobel Prize, the Fields Prize or the Wolf Prize. The AP lists Arab and Arab-descended winners of each, including chemist Ahmed Zewail, novelist Naguib Mahfouz, chemist Omar M. Yaghi, who also won the Wolf Prize, and mathematician Michael Atiyah. The Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters and the AP.
Read the full background
Rogers, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, and his allies have sought to link his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, to the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed, who is Muslim, has disavowed the group and denied any connection to it. Michigan has the highest share of residents reporting Arab ancestry of any state, according to Census Bureau survey data cited by Newsweek. Earlier the same day, Kennedy visited Corewell Health in Grand Rapids on official business to promote a hospital nutrition pledge.
People in this case
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Directly involved
Mike RogersDirectly involved
Timeline
3 timeline entries on this page. Dates: October 26, 2026 to October 27, 2026
October 2026
Kennedy makes remarks about Arabs at a Grand Rapids campaign event
Incident
At a Republican campaign event in Grand Rapids with Senate candidate Mike Rogers and Rep. John James, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the world's 500 million Arabs do not produce science or literature and do not win the Nobel, Fields or Wolf prizes, and blames the Muslim Brotherhood.
[01]C-SPAN
C-SPAN's video of the October 26, 2026 Republican campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared with U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers and gubernatorial candidate Rep. John James.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaigns with Senate candidate Mike Rogers (R-MI) in Grand Rapids · C-SPANFull event video, 35 minutes 30 seconds[02]The Bulwark
A post by The Bulwark's clips account with a 38-second excerpt of Kennedy speaking at the Grand Rapids campaign event, captioned with his remarks about '500 million Arabs'.
Bulwark Clips post with video of Kennedy's remarks about Arabs in Grand Rapids · The BulwarkFull post and 38-second video, October 26, 2026[03]Newsweek
Newsweek report on Kennedy's remarks at the Grand Rapids event, including his statements that he could talk about the Muslim Brotherhood and that doing so 'is not Islamophobia'.
RFK Jr. Says 500M Arabs 'Don't Produce Science' at Michigan Rally · NewsweekFull articleCAIR calls for Kennedy's firing
Reaction
The Council on American-Islamic Relations calls for Kennedy to be removed from his Cabinet post over the Grand Rapids remarks.
[04]Council on American-Islamic Relations
Press release from the Council on American-Islamic Relations calling for Kennedy to be removed from his Cabinet post over his Grand Rapids remarks, and listing Arab Nobel Prize winners.
CAIR Calls for Immediate Firing of RFK Jr. Over 'Vile, Bigoted' Anti-Arab Rant · Council on American-Islamic RelationsFull press release[05]Common Dreams
Common Dreams report collecting reactions to Kennedy's Grand Rapids remarks, including statements from the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Protect Our Care and posts by Sen. Chris Murphy, Mehdi Hasan and Justin Baragona.
RFK Jr. Condemned Over Baseless and 'Nakedly Racist' Anti-Arab Rant at Rogers Event in Michigan · Common DreamsFull articleAP fact check lists Arab winners of the prizes Kennedy named
An Associated Press fact check lists Arab and Arab-descended winners of the Nobel Prize, the Fields Medal and the Wolf Prize, and reports that HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
[06]Associated Press
Associated Press fact check, as published by WFTV, quoting Kennedy's remarks in Grand Rapids and listing Arab and Arab-descended winners of the Nobel Prize, the Fields Medal and the Wolf Prize. It also quotes Protect Our Care and Peter Hotez.
FACT FOCUS: Kennedy's claim that Arabs 'don't produce science' meets a Nobel Prize reality check · Associated PressFull article
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What's disputed
Disputed claim
The world's 500 million Arabs do not produce science or literature and do not win the Nobel Prize, the Fields Prize or the Wolf Prize.
What is disputed
The Associated Press lists Arab and Arab-descended winners of each prize Kennedy named, including chemist Ahmed Zewail (Nobel Prize, 1999), novelist Naguib Mahfouz (Nobel Prize in Literature, 1988), chemist Omar M. Yaghi (Nobel Prize, 2025, and Wolf Prize, 2018) and mathematician Michael Atiyah, of Lebanese descent (Fields Medal, 1966). Kennedy attributed what he described to the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Sources (4)
- Bulwark Clips post with video of Kennedy's remarks about Arabs in Grand Rapids · The BulwarkFull post and 38-second video, October 26, 2026
- FACT FOCUS: Kennedy's claim that Arabs 'don't produce science' meets a Nobel Prize reality check · Associated PressFull article
- RFK Jr. Says 500M Arabs 'Don't Produce Science' at Michigan Rally · NewsweekFull article
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaigns with Senate candidate Mike Rogers (R-MI) in Grand Rapids · C-SPANFull event video, 35 minutes 30 seconds
Response record
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(10)
Original video
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaigns with Senate candidate Mike Rogers (R-MI) in Grand Rapids
Relevant passage: Full event video, 35 minutes 30 seconds
About this source
C-SPAN's video of the October 26, 2026 Republican campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared with U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers and gubernatorial candidate Rep. John James.
- Author
- C-SPAN
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Mehdi Hasan post on Republican remarks about Muslims and Arabs
About this source
Mehdi Hasan's post on X quoting the Bulwark Clips video of Kennedy's Grand Rapids remarks.
- Author
- Mehdi Hasan
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Chris Murphy post on a 'coordinated campaign to delegitimize Muslim Americans'
About this source
Sen. Chris Murphy's post on X quoting the Bulwark Clips video of Kennedy's Grand Rapids remarks.
- Author
- Chris Murphy
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
RFK Jr Goes Full Racist at Michigan Campaign Stop
Relevant passage: Full statement
About this source
Protect Our Care statement, issued the evening of October 26, 2026 (Eastern time), quoting its president, Brad Woodhouse, on Kennedy's remarks at the Grand Rapids campaign event.
- Author
- Protect Our Care
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
RFK Jr. Condemned Over Baseless and 'Nakedly Racist' Anti-Arab Rant at Rogers Event in Michigan
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
Common Dreams report collecting reactions to Kennedy's Grand Rapids remarks, including statements from the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Protect Our Care and posts by Sen. Chris Murphy, Mehdi Hasan and Justin Baragona.
- Author
- Julia Conley
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
CAIR Calls for Immediate Firing of RFK Jr. Over 'Vile, Bigoted' Anti-Arab Rant
Relevant passage: Full press release
About this source
Press release from the Council on American-Islamic Relations calling for Kennedy to be removed from his Cabinet post over his Grand Rapids remarks, and listing Arab Nobel Prize winners.
- Author
- Council on American-Islamic Relations
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
RFK Jr. Says 500M Arabs 'Don't Produce Science' at Michigan Rally
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
Newsweek report on Kennedy's remarks at the Grand Rapids event, including his statements that he could talk about the Muslim Brotherhood and that doing so 'is not Islamophobia'.
- Author
- Steven Frank
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
US health chief RFK Jr faces widespread rebuke over his anti-Arab remarks
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
Reuters report, as published by WSAU, on criticism of Kennedy's remarks from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Protect Our Care and Sen. Chris Murphy. It says the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
- Author
- Kanishka Singh
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
FACT FOCUS: Kennedy's claim that Arabs 'don't produce science' meets a Nobel Prize reality check
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
Associated Press fact check, as published by WFTV, quoting Kennedy's remarks in Grand Rapids and listing Arab and Arab-descended winners of the Nobel Prize, the Fields Medal and the Wolf Prize. It also quotes Protect Our Care and Peter Hotez.
- Author
- Fatima Hussein
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Bulwark Clips post with video of Kennedy's remarks about Arabs in Grand Rapids
About this source
A post by The Bulwark's clips account with a 38-second excerpt of Kennedy speaking at the Grand Rapids campaign event, captioned with his remarks about '500 million Arabs'.
- Author
- Bulwark Clips
- Published
- Accessed
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- Title
- RFK Jr. says 500 million Arabs 'don't produce science' at a Rogers campaign event; CAIR calls for his firing
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The Dispute Index. "RFK Jr. says 500 million Arabs 'don't produce science' at a Rogers campaign event; CAIR calls for his firing". First published: 2026-10-30. Last updated: 2026-10-30. https://disputeindex.com/cases/rfk-jr-arabs-dont-produce-science-grand-rapids