GOP Sen. John Kennedy To Arab American Witness: 'You Support Hamas, Don't You?

WASHINGTON Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Tuesday baselessly accused an Arab American witness of supporting terrorists during a Senate hearing, and as she called out his blatant Islamophobia, the GOP senator told her to hide her head in a bag.

Kennedy lashed out at Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute, a nonpartisan national civil rights advocacy organization, during her testimony before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on stemming hate crimes. Berry was the only Muslim witness in the hearing.

You support Hamas, do you not? Kennedy abruptly asked Berry , referring to the terrorist group behind the Oct. 7 attacks on southern Israel. His question drew audible gasps in the audience.

Senator, oddly enough, Im going to say thank you for that question, because it demonstrates the purpose of our hearing today, Berry responded. Hamas is a foreign terrorist organization that I do not support. But you asking the executive director of the Arab American Institute that question very much puts the focus on the issue of hate in our country.

Several people in the audience clapped after she spoke.

But Kennedy continued in the same vein, asking if she supports Hezbollah, an Islamist political party and paramilitary group thats also a designated terrorist organization.

Again, I find this line of questioning extraordinarily disappointing, senator, Berry began to respond as Kennedy talked over her, demanding she give a yes or no response.

The answer is I dont support violence whether its Hezbollah, Hamas or any other entity that invokes it, she finally got out. So no, sir.

You cant bring yourself to say no, can you? Kennedy replied, even after she said no.

The GOP senator pressed on, raising his voice, asking Berry if she supports Iran and talking over her as she tried to answer his questions. Someone started yelling in the audience as Kennedy kept talking.

I think its exceptionally disappointing that youre looking at an Arab American witness before you and saying, You support Hamas, Berry said, as she repeatedly rejected his claims that she supports terrorist groups.

You should hide your head in a bag, Kennedy finally said, drawing loud outcry from some in the audience.

A Kennedy spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment. 

Heres a video clip of their exchange:

Nobody on the committee pushed back on Kennedys offensive line of questioning. That may have been because there werent many senators at the hearing, at least when Kennedy was talking. Some were there earlier, but it appeared they had left after they got in their questions to witnesses.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the chairman, was there though. He didnt say anything to Kennedy, but told Berry she could respond to anything he had just said.

Its regrettable that I, as I sit here, have experienced the very issue that were attempting to deal with today, Berry said, drawing applause. This has been regrettably a real disappointment, but very much an indication of the danger to our democratic institutions that were in now.

I do hope that my testimony today has been helpful to understanding the need to respond to hate, she added.

Durbin seemed to allude to Kennedys offensive remarks before gaveling out the hearing, but didnt seem particularly angry about them.

I regret some of the things that were said today at this hearing, the Illinois senator said. But we are a free nation, and thats what happens in a democracy.

Asked why nobody pushed back on Kennedys line of questioning, a Durbin spokesperson said Wednesday that the GOP senators comments were way out of line.

The vile and horrific remarks made by Sen. Kennedy yesterday were completely unacceptable and have no place in our dialogue, let alone a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Durbins spokesperson said in a statement.

Political leaders must not fan the flames of hatred and division, and Senator Kennedy failed to meet this responsibility yesterday, said the spokesperson. Chair Durbin was deeply offended by how Ms. Berry was treated and made a point of speaking to her once the hearing concluded to thank her for her participation and her insights on the need to fight hate in all of its forms.

Kennedys treatment of Berry drew almost instant condemnation from both Muslim and Jewish organizations.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council, a national nonprofit focused on policies impacting American Muslims, issued a lengthy statement that expresses disgust and profound disappointment over the conduct of Republican Senators in Tuesdays hearing.

Maya Berry, a respected civil rights leader and Co-Chair of the Hate Crimes Task Force at The Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights, was repeatedly subjected to contemptuous questioning and unfounded Islamophobic accusations, reads the groups statement. Her presence at todays hearing was critical, and the unwarranted attacks and defamation of character she endured from certain Senators were entirely unacceptable.

Muslim Civic Coalition, a Chicago-based partnership of activists and organizations focused on civic justice, said the lines of questioning by several Senators devolved into the exact type of misinformation and hate speech the hearing was intended to combat, per a press release from the group.

We hoped there had been more Senators present to support [Durbins] leadership as we witnessed dehumanizing questions from several committee members, Maaria Mozaffar, legislative lead at Muslim Civic Coalition, said in a related statement. We as a nation cannot normalize dehumanization.

Sheila Katz, the CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women, called Kennedys treatment of Berry heartbreaking in a post on social media.

Heartbreaking scene at a Senate hearing on antisemitism, anti-Arab & anti-Muslim hate: the only Muslim witness faced biased questions about supporting Hamas & Hezbollah despite her clear condemnations, Katz wrote on social media . This hearing should combat hate, not perpetuate it. The Senate must do better.

By Wednesday, more national groups were criticizing Kennedys behavior.

To use a hearing about the disturbing rise in anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and antisemitic hate crimes to launch personal and discriminatory attacks on an expert witness theyve invited to testify is both outrageous and inappropriate, said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. This kind of racist rhetoric should be widely condemned. It has no place in Congress, or in politics.

Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, a progressive public policy group, said Kennedy should be formally censured.

We cannot allow ourselves to be so numb to the normalizing of hate speech that this senator is allowed to escape any consequences, Gaspard said in a statement. It was a shocking display of anti-Arab American bigotry against a civil society leader who came to Congress with the goal of protecting all communities from hate.

Hate should have no haven in Congress, and Sen. Kennedy must face censure for his remarks, he added.