Republican Rep. Fine Criticized for Saying Armenians Shouldn’t Serve in Congress

“We don’t want Armenians to be able to serve in Congress. But I’m not gonna lose too much sleep about it,” Fine concluded.

In response, Gev Iskayjan, the advocacy director for the prominent lobbying group the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), said that Fine’s comments were “not just racist” but “disqualifying.”

“Saying Armenians shouldn’t be allowed to serve in Congress is blatant bigotry. No elected official who traffics in this kind of hate should be running for office.”

Following the initial round of backlash, Fine appeared to double down in a post on Twitter on Sunday, May 3.

The spat was the latest incident in an already nasty primary campaign.

Earlier, Bilzerian called Fine a “fat Jew,” and has based much of his campaign around attacking Israel and Jews, as well as Fine’s staunchly pro-Israel positions. He has also denied the Holocaust and suggested Jews were behind the 9/11 attacks and the assassination of President John F Kennedy. One of the eight “plans” listed on Bilzerian’s campaign website is to “End Jewish Supremacy.”