Congressman: Americans ‘Should Be Disturbed’ By Comments On Muslims

Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., accompanied by fellow House Democrats, gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 16, 2016, to discuss opposition to the President Barack Obama's trade... Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., accompanied by fellow House Democrats, gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 16, 2016, to discuss opposition to the President Barack Obama's trade deal. Despite Obama's direct appeal, House Democrats voted overwhelmingly on Friday to reject a jobs retraining program because it was legislatively linked to fast track, which they want to kill. Both parties were asking Tuesday whether they could persuade enough colleagues to switch their votes and reverse Friday's outcome, but few were optimistic. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke) MORE LESS

By Sara Jerde

September 20, 2015 5:03 p.m.

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Rep. Keith Ellison, (D-MN) the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress, said Sunday that “every American should be disturbed” by the comments made by Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ben Carson on Muslims.

Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, said Sunday that he didn’t think a Muslim should be President. Trump also defended Sunday his decision not to correct a town hall audience member who said President Obama was a Muslim and asked when the nation “could get rid of them.”

Ellison responded to the comments with a statement released on Twitter.

“It’s unimaginable that the leading GOP presidential candidates are resorting to fear mongering to benefit their campaigns, and every American should be disturbed that these national figures are engaging in and tolerating blatant acts of religious bigotry,” according to the statement.

Here’s Ellison’s tweet with the full statement:

Every American should be disturbed. My statement on recent comments made by @RealBenCarson & @realDonaldTrump: pic.twitter.com/7HAVw3JeZK

— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) September 20, 2015

h/t: Time

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Sara Jerde (@SaraJerde) Sara Jerde is a newswriter based in New York. Her bylines have appeared in The Star-Ledger, The Chronicle of Higher Education and The Columbus Dispatch. She graduated from Ohio University. Send emails to sara@talkingpointsmemo.com and follow her @SaraJerde.

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