Mehdi Hasan says a Cabinet official is among Republicans saying 'insanely racist' things about Muslims or Arabs
Mehdi HasanFounder and editor-in-chief of Zeteo, in a post on X
Mehdi Hasan says prominent Republicans, including a Cabinet official, say something insanely racist about Muslims or Arabs every day, and faults prominent Democrats and liberals for staying quiet. Common Dreams reports the post among reactions to Kennedy's remarks.
“Everyday, a prominent Republican - the president, a cabinet official, a primetime Fox host, the Michigan Senate candidate - says something insanely racist about Muslims or Arabs.”
Original post
Reporting
Where this statement fits
RFK Jr. says 500 million Arabs 'don't produce science' at a Rogers campaign event; CAIR calls for his firing
On October 26, 2026, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a Republican campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that the world's 500 million Arabs 'don't produce science', do not win the Nobel, Fields or Wolf prizes and 'don't produce literature', and blamed the Muslim Brotherhood. Civil rights groups, health care advocates and Democrats condemned the remarks, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations called for his firing.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Mehdi Hasan's post on X quoting the Bulwark Clips video of Kennedy's Grand Rapids remarks.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
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.
Before the quotation
Common Dreams reports the post among reactions to Kennedy's remarks in Grand Rapids, and says Hasan suggested that Democrats and liberal commentators share the blame for a climate in which a top U.S. official felt comfortable degrading people of Arab descent.
After the quotation
He continues that his timeline is full of prominent Democrats and liberals angry about an ad attacking Israel, and that he hears nothing from them on what he calls out-of-control Islamophobia from the GOP.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case concerns Kennedy's October 26 remarks about Arabs. Hasan names a Cabinet official among Republicans who say 'something insanely racist about Muslims or Arabs', and Common Dreams reports the post as a reaction to Kennedy's remarks, so the post condemns them.
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- People and groups discussed
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
More from this case
Read the full caseCAIR says Kennedy's remarks erase Arab contributions to humanity and fan anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hate
Council on American-Islamic Relations
“His sweeping erasure of Arab contributions to humanity is not only maliciously false, but it also fans the flames of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hate at a time when communities are already vulnerable to bigoted attacks from other public officials nationwide. Anyone who holds such blatant contempt for an entire ethnicity has no business leading a federal agency meant to serve all Americans.”Read statement
Chris Murphy describes a coordinated campaign to delegitimize Muslim Americans
“I really think everyone needs to pay attention to this cordinated campaign to delegimatize Muslim Americans - not just as citizens but as humans. These increasingly hysterical attacks are a prelude to Republicans bringing us to a very, very dark place after the election.”Read statement
Protect Our Care says Kennedy 'laid bare how small and ignorant he really is'
Protect Our Care
“Fear and racism are the crutch of pathetic political hacks with absolutely nothing to offer or progress to point to. RFK Jr has laid bare how small and ignorant he really is.”Read statement
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- Mehdi Hasan says a Cabinet official is among Republicans saying 'insanely racist' things about Muslims or Arabs
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The Dispute Index. "Mehdi Hasan says a Cabinet official is among Republicans saying 'insanely racist' things about Muslims or Arabs". First published: 2026-10-30. Last updated: 2026-10-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/7254-mehdi-hasan-says-prominent-republicans-including-a-cabinet