Andy Ogles (Getty Images)
A Trump-supporting Republican representative who recently said that “homosexuality has no place in America” has just lost his bid for re-election.
Representative Andy Ogles, who has been endorsed by Trump since his first run for Congress back in 2022, lost his primary in Tennessee on 4 August to Charlie Hatcher.
The loss follows a string of controversial comments made by the politician at the expense of marginalised groups, like Muslims and the LGBTQ+ community.
During Pride Month this year, Ogles posted to X: “Homosexuality has no place in America. Happy Nuclear Family Month.”
His now-deleted comment received much backlash from the general public and fellow Republican politicians alike. Even Texas senator Ted Cruz, who has long held more conservative views of LGBTQ+ issues like same-sex marriage, criticised Ogle for his comments.
Speaking to TMZ on 2 June, Cruz said of the post: “I think for all of recorded history, homosexuals have been part of humanity. I’ve got to say that I’m quite libertarian by nature. I think the behaviour of consenting adults is their business.”
Likewise, New York state representative Mike Lawler quoted Ogles’ post to share his two cents. “Homosexuality exists. In America,” he said.
“In fact Andy, you have family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and constituents who are gay and lesbian,” he continued. “It doesn’t make them less than or somehow unworthy of being an American. What an absolutely idiotic statement to make.”
Ogles blamed an unnamed “staffer” for the post following its deletion, but he also made similar comments about Muslims in March this year.
“Muslims don’t belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie,” he posted to X on 9 March.
Ogles also publicly called for the deportation of New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is both Muslim and a US citizen, when he became the Democratic nominee for his current role.
“Zohran ‘Little Muhammad’ Mamdani is an antisemitic, socialist, communist who will destroy the great City of New York. He needs to be DEPORTED. Which is why I am calling for him to be subject to denaturalization proceedings,” he posted to his X account on 26 June, along with a letter addressed to the then-US attorney general Pam Bondi.
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