Meet Randy Fine, America’s Most Racist Congressman
The Florida lawmaker says 'destroy' mainstream Muslims. Who is he and where did he come from?
“Throw rocks, get shot. One less #MuslimTerrorist. #FireAway.”
“‘Palestinian’ is just another word for demon.”
“Gaza must be destroyed.”
“I’m not going to jack (expletive) where that whore is at.”
“I don’t know how you make peace with [Mainstream Muslims], I think you destroy them first.”
Meet Randy Fine. In a Congress full of racist, pro-war Islamophobes, he may be the worst. His presence embodies every nefarious, violent asymmetry in US politics. He’s hated by Democrats – and, at least privately, by members of his own party. Yet, he’s still a fixture on cable news, and despite some less-than-enthusiastic denouncements and calls for apologies, he’s still in perfectly good standing.
The Trump-endorsed Republican’s aggression has reached a zenith in recent months. Calling prominent politicians “Muslim terrorists” and calling to “destroy” what he labels “Mainstream Muslims” is just a sample. He’s tag-teamed with conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer (who went from being banned by Medium, Uber, Lyft, Twitter, PayPal, GoFundMe, Venmo, Meta, and Clubhouse to helping direct US policy) to advance his “No Sharia Act.” And much more.
Since I first began this piece, Fine’s behavior has gotten worse and worse, and yet he continues to be welcomed on CNN, and has faced no consequences for any of his actions.
Despite it all, Fine is still a sitting member of Congress. But many who have crossed paths with him – on all sides of the aisle – find consensus around the idea that he is a vicious, angry, and unpleasant person.
And in speaking with some of them, we’ve gotten a deeper insight into the psychology that drives all the fury, and perhaps, the insecurity.