Washington, DC – The following is a statement from Scott Simpson, public advocacy director at Muslim Advocates, in response to today’s HuffPost report that a congressional candidate from South Dakota is banking on a terrorist attack to win his primary.  The outlet obtained a recording of a current state senator and candidate saying that “…all that has to happen is that there will be one more terrorist attack between now and then and I will be the, just by the Trump effect, I will be the candidate. That’s the way I look at it.”

“Hoping for a terrorist attack on U.S. soil is beyond the pale, even in this era, when trumpeting anti-Muslim conspiracies has become a commonplace political tactic. This rhetoric only hurts the country – it increases hate crimes against Muslims and, as we’ve seen in Alabama, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Nebraska, Massachusetts, Texas, North Dakota, it rarely even results in votes. This is the basement of political desperation and it should concern every American who cares about having a sober understanding of our safety and security.”

Muslim Advocates is a 501c3 charity and we do not endorse or oppose candidates for office.

Muslim Advocates is a national legal advocacy and educational organization that works on the frontlines of civil rights to guarantee freedom and justice for Americans of all faiths.

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