Anti-Muslim US Congressman Andy Ogles loses Republican primary

Trump’s endorsement fails to save Tennessee legislator who recently said ‘Muslims don’t belong in American society’.United States Congressman Andy Ogles, who has a history of anti-Muslim statements, has lost his Republican primary in the state of Tennessee despite the endorsement of President Donald Trump.Ogles’s loss on Thursday to Charlie Hatcher, the state’s former agricultural commissioner, represents a rare incident in which Trump’s endorsement failed to deliver in a Republican race.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3How Abdul El-Sayed’s ‘extraordinary’ win stunned pro-Israel establishmentlist 2 of 3DOJ sends monitors to Michigan poll sites as lawmakers warn of partisan aimlist 3 of 3Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Democratic primary for Senate in blow to AIPACend of listHatcher has also represented himself as pro-Trump, but the US president heaped praise on Ogles earlier on Thursday, giving the incumbent his “complete and total endorsement”.With nearly 90 percent of the votes counted, Hatcher had a 6.6-point lead over Ogles.The congressman, who was first elected in 2022, was running in a redrawn district after Republicans had changed the electoral map in the state to help the party retain its majority in the US House of Representatives.Hatcher will face Chaz Molder, the Democratic mayor of Columbia – a city south of Nashville – in November.The Republican nominee received a late endorsement from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee.The district favours Republicans, but Democrats are trying to capitalise on the discontent with the economy and the war on Iran to flip seats across the country.Ogles – a staunch Israel supporter – has faced outrage and condemnation from across the political spectrum for his comments against the Muslim community.“Muslims don’t belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie,” he wrote on X in March.In 2024, when an activist asked Ogles on Capitol Hill if he had seen footage of Palestinian children killed by US-funded bombs, he said: “You know what? I think we should kill them all, if that makes you feel better.”