Zoran Mamdani becomes New York City’s first Muslim mayor
Zoran Mamdani was sworn in as New York City’s first Muslim mayor with a historic oath and street party.
Rep. Randy Fine, a first-term Republican congressman from Florida, is facing calls to resign over accusations of Islamophobia after suggesting he prefers dogs to Muslims.
“If they gave us a choice, it wouldn’t be hard to choose between a dog and a Muslim,” Fine said in a social media post on Sunday, February 15.
He was responding to a post by a pro-Palestinian activist who said dogs shouldn’t be kept as indoor pets, and later revealed he was joking about dog owners not cleaning up after their pets on snowy New York City streets.
“As we’ve said all along, they’re dirty,” she said.
Some interpretations of Islam place restrictions on keeping dogs as pets.
Fine’s comments drew condemnation from leading Democratic politicians, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Jefferies said in a statement that Fine was a “disgrace” to Congress, calling him “an Islamophobic, disgusting and unrepentant bigot.”
Democratic leaders also criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans for not speaking out about the comments. Even conservative commentator Megyn Kelly, who regularly irritates progressives and liberals, called Fine’s comments “completely bigoted.”
“Their casual embrace of hateful and divisive language is what enables this out-of-control behavior. Republican leadership must hold these so-called members accountable,” Jeffries said.
Democrats in Congress are also calling for Fine to be reprimanded and stripped of his committee assignments.
“This is one of the most disgusting statements I have ever seen from an American official,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a February 17 post by Fine.
Similar to several other negative reactions to his comments about Since posting over the weekend, Mr. Fine has stepped up his game, reposting clips defending his comments on conservative talk show shows and replying to dozens of posts, some of which criticized him, with altered illustrations of flags.
This is not the first time the Florida congressman, who is Jewish and calls himself the “Hebrew Hammer,” has made anti-Muslim and Islamophobic remarks. In July 2025, he provoked a backlash by implying that Muslim Rep. Ilhan Omar was a “terrorist.” He has also used the term to insult other Muslim leaders, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani.
In December 2025, Fine called for a “Muslim travel ban” and “revocation of citizenship” as well as the deportation of Muslims. “Mainstream Muslims have declared war on us,” he wrote in a post at the time.
Before joining Congress, Fine had developed a reputation as a controversial figure in Florida politics. According to The Floridian, he has previously called for the expulsion of “non-Americans who support or have supported Islamic terrorism.” He also accused Florida Governor Ron DeSantis of failing to address anti-Semitism in 2023.
He has served in the Florida House of Representatives since 2016 and was elected to the state Senate in 2024. Mr. Fine won a special election in 2025 to fill a vacant U.S. House seat representing the northern district of Florida, which includes Daytona Beach and the Ocala National Forest.
Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And to X@Kathryn Purml. Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here.
