Kennedy faces backlash after claiming Arabs have no Nobel Prizes

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced a wave of criticism on Wednesday after speaking at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He told the crowd that Arab people have not created major works in science or literature. The comments came during a speech supporting Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers.

Kennedy made the statements on Monday night. He said the group of 500 million Arabs does not produce science or win top awards. He specifically named the Nobel, Fields, and Wolf prizes as examples of accolades he claimed Arabs do not receive. He also stated that the demographic does not produce literature.

An Associated Press factcheck published on Tuesday contradicted these claims. The report found that Arabs have won or been shortlisted for all the awards Kennedy mentioned in recent years. This verification showed a direct conflict between the secretary's public statements and documented history.

Political and advocacy groups reacted quickly to the speech. The Council on American-Islamic Relations called the remarks a textbook display of racism and bigotry. Protect Our Care, a healthcare advocacy group, also condemned the comments as a wildly racist tirade. Both groups pointed out how such language shapes public perception of specific communities.

Hillary Scholten, a Democratic congresswoman from west Michigan, posted a statement on Facebook late Tuesday. She described the comments as disgraceful for someone in public service. Scholten noted that she did not endorse Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic opponent, in the summer. She argued that Kennedy's rhetoric fell below the standards expected of the health secretary.

In her post, Scholten said Kennedy has a duty to serve all Americans. She said he should not use his position to demean communities with false claims. She listed contributions from Arab Americans in science, medicine, and education. She also pointed out that Kennedy does not hold a medical degree or a Nobel peace prize.

Kennedy framed his comments within a larger attack on the Muslim Brotherhood. He described the group's rise as creating stagnant societies. He suggested this development ended a golden age where Islamic lands were centers for art and science. He characterized that earlier period by tolerance and pluralism.

Other officials in the Trump administration have also targeted El-Sayed. President Trump called the Democrat a jihadist at a rally in Port Huron on Sunday. Vice President JD Vance intensified the attacks at an event in Howell on Tuesday. Vance tried to link El-Sayed's politics to violent protests in Paris. He suggested that figures like El-Sayed would lead similar unrest in American cities.

El-Sayed has consistently denied any ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. He disavowed the group during a town hall event last week. A heckler at that event was later identified as a former aide to Senator Josh Hawley. Senator Chris Murphy, who was canvassing in Michigan, criticized the coordinated effort to delegitimize Muslim Americans. He urged the public to pay attention to these attacks on their status as citizens and humans.