House Republicans’ ‘Sharia Free America’ Caucus Is Surging

Republicans in Congress are engaging in increasingly extreme anti-Muslim rhetoric, with little pushback from their own leadership. If anything, more lawmakers are seeking to join the chorus.

But some in the party are beginning to wonder, is a renewed crusade against “Sharia law” actually what Republican voters are demanding?

Since its founding in December, the Sharia Free America Caucus has ballooned in size from its two co-founders to 55 members as of this week. More are expected to join.

The membership includes Rep. Andy Ogles, who recently said Muslims “don’t belong in American society.” Rep. Randy Fine, who said he’d choose dogs over Muslims, is a member, too. The caucus drew early support from Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who recently shared a photo of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani alongside one of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and wrote that “the enemy is inside the gates.”

Membership has grown in recent months to include more mainstream Republican lawmakers like Reps. Monica De La Cruz, who is in a vulnerable seat this midterm cycle, and Mike Kennedy, who isn’t known for having a loud online presence.

The founders of the caucus said the group is dedicated “to counter the alarming rise of Sharia in the United States.”

“A lot of people have a heightened awareness that, look, those that are that radicalized, that’s problematic,” Rep. Randy Weber of Texas, who told NOTUS he’s joining the caucus in the coming days, said. “We’re trying to make sure we’re drawing attention to it, and we’re trying to prevent it.”

“Actually, maybe there’s a third thing that we’re gonna do: Punish those who perpetrate that kind of evil on us. Those three things,” Weber continued. “No Sharia law. ’Cause I don’t know how much you know about Sharia law, but they can be pretty rough on the ladies.”

Some lawmakers focused on Sharia law, however, admit their attention is outpacing their constituents’ concern, framing the movement as being more about “prevention” than any issue at hand. While multiple lawmakers told NOTUS they do hear from constituents about it, few were able to point to a specific situation driving that outreach.

Asked about specific concerns about Sharia law in Alabama, Tuberville, who is running for governor and leads companion anti-Sharia bills in the Senate, said it’s about “awareness.”

Rep. Aaron Bean of Florida said he hears about it from constituents who want to “nip it in the bud before it’s even an issue.”

Rep. Keith Self of Texas co-founded the caucus with Rep. Chip Roy after they discussed it with Tuberville at the White House Christmas Party, according to the Jewish News Syndicate. Self claimed there have been more attempts to create Muslim-centered communities like the East Plano Islamic Center in Texas, saying that “they’re proliferating.”

“When we poll, it’s our only 80/20 issue … it’s an 80/20 issue in my district. That’s huge,” Self said. “People are concerned about the growth, the Islamization, the number of mosques in my district, absolutely.”

But Rep. Jake Ellzey of Texas said the issue “hasn’t been burning up the phones” in his office. Rep. Scott Franklin of Florida said the same. Neither is in the caucus.

“I’m sure I could find someone on social media or something, but no, it hasn’t been an issue,” Franklin said. “I don’t think anybody’s called my office about it.”

A White House official told NOTUS that they’ve “never used that language,” referring to “Sharia law.” President Donald Trump mentions it at times, including in a bilateral meeting earlier this month, but it is an infrequent talking point for him. The official added that “we focus on what we can focus on” and listed higher priorities in the president’s platform, like securing the homeland and improving the economy.

Interest in “Sharia law,” according to Google search trends in the United States, has surged since late 2025, after years of little interest in the topic.

Lawmakers from Texas and Florida are overrepresented in the Sharia Free America Caucus — making up over one-third of its over 50 members.

Texas Republicans may have made the state the epicenter of these renewed concerns. Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law banning Sharia compounds in September last year after he led multiple investigations into North Texas’ East Plano Islamic Center, often referred to as EPIC City, for unclear reasons. Just this month, Republican primary voters overwhelmingly supported a proposition asking whether Sharia law should be banned from being enforced in Texas courts, to the tune of nearly 95%.

Concerns about Sharia law are a recent development, Texas-based Republican strategist Chad Wilbanks told NOTUS.

“Best I can tell, it never really was a strong issue, really, until, I think, over the past year or so, when we started seeing some legislators at both the state and federal level take a stronger interest in it,” Wilbanks said. “Sharia law is already illegal in the United States, so some of these laws addressing it are trying to strengthen what is already existing law.”

Fine, who is among those prolific posters against Muslims, said Sharia law is “one of the No. 1 issues” he hears about in his district, and added that “it’s a reasonable perspective for people to be afraid” of Islam.

Caucus member Rep. Cory Mills of Florida said that among his constituents, Sharia law is “a very big concern,” also pointing to an increase in Muslim places of worship as what’s driving that outreach.

“We’re seeing a massive increase in mosques being built around,” Mills said. “Especially the big one that’s being built in Tampa right now.” (A spokesperson for the city of Tampa told NOTUS that they were “unaware of what he was talking about.”)

Sharia describes Islamic guiding principles as interpreted from the Quran and other Islamic religious texts. When Muslims fast during Ramadan or abstain from pork and alcohol, they’re doing so in accordance with Sharia. It also dictates a separate legal and ethical system, though it is illegal for its principles to override the Constitution or the English Common Law in the U.S. Court system.

“They have no idea what Sharia law is. Sharia law is a religious or moral code by which an individual Muslim’s personal behavior is relegated,” said Maya Berry, the executive director of the Arab American Institute, of caucus members’ comments. “It’s intellectually dishonest to say, ‘My constituents are concerned about this.’ No, you have fanned the flames of this issue to generate fear. And then people start saying, ‘Wait, what is this, and do I need to be afraid of it?”

“We fund all of this. When they create a caucus, it takes staff time to create said caucus. That caucus will have a mission, and there will be work generated around it. All of this is taxpayer funded,” Berry added.

A quarter of the House Republican conference has joined the growing Sharia Free America Caucus. Some Republicans have expressed distaste at the incendiary posts about Muslims from their colleagues. But others who aren’t members of the caucus are still fanning the flames against Islam.

Republicans have particularly latched on to the rise of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a practicing Muslim.

“I’m very worried about these enclaves throughout our country where they want to have their own Sharia law,” Rep. Chris Smith said. “The radicalization of some, especially like now in New York, I mean, if that’s the model for the Democratic Party to become socialists and radical Muslims — again, I deeply respect all faiths, including Muslims.”

Smith continued. “Dearborn, there’s a whole bunch of ’em, where there’s concern that they’re gravitating toward, some might even have it already, toward a Sharia law concept.”

Others are considering joining. Rep. Beth Van Duyne of Texas said she hasn’t joined yet because she didn’t “know anything about it.”

Rep. Rich McCormick of Georgia — piling into the same car as Van Duyne — piped up unprompted to tell NOTUS he was the group’s newest member.

“I just joined!” he announced.