Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van Orden is under fire from the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization this week, with leaders accusing him of echoing anti Muslim stereotypes in social media posts and public remarks that they say risk fueling real world hostility. The group is asking state and local officials to publicly call out the congressman’s behavior as Van Orden heads into a closely watched re election fight in the state’s 3rd District.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Council on American Islamic Relations argued that, "An elected member of Congress should never traffic in conspiracy theories, collective smears, or dehumanizing rhetoric directed at an entire faith community," and urged Wisconsin leaders to publicly repudiate Rep. Van Orden's remarks, according to CAIR. The group said its call came after a local review catalogued numerous posts and replies that it contends promote harmful, anti Muslim tropes.
Examples From Social Media
The Milwaukee Courier review pulled together a string of replies on X and radio comments that it says show Van Orden endorsing anti Muslim claims, including replies quoted as, "This is horrible and completely true" and "This is an accurate statement." As reported by the Milwaukee Courier, the paper linked to the congressman's account and selected replies, which are visible on X here and here.
Judge Orders Release Of Mosque Leader
Van Orden also weighed in on X about the March arrest of Salah Salem Sarsour, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, writing that he was "shocked" someone with that name would be arrested, an exchange highlighted by the Milwaukee Courier. A federal judge ordered Sarsour's release two weeks ago while deportation proceedings continue, according to local coverage; see reporting from TMJ4 for details.
Political Stakes
Van Orden is running for re election in a district Democrats see as competitive. He defeated Democrat Rebecca Cooke by roughly 11,000 votes in 2024, and Cooke is running again while Emily Berge is also on the Democratic primary ballot, according to Spectrum News 1. The primary is set for Aug. 11, and national and state Democrats are treating the seat as one to watch.
CAIR Frames The Issue As Part Of A Wider Pattern
CAIR is tying its criticism of Van Orden to a broader trend it says it is tracking across the country. The organization reports documenting 8,683 anti Muslim bias complaints in 2025, the highest total in its records, and warns that rhetoric from public officials contributes to that spike, per CAIR. The group is urging Wisconsin leaders to make clear that open bigotry has no place in the U.S. Congress.
Van Orden's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the controversy is likely to linger into the fall campaign. This story will be updated if the congressman or local officials issue additional statements.
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