U.S. Politics · Elections · 9 outlets (L 4 · C 2 · R 2 · 1 not rated)
RFK Jr. says Arabs don't produce science or literature at Michigan rally
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said at a Michigan campaign stop that Arabs don't produce science or literature and don't win the Nobel, Fields or Wolf prizes.[3, 5] Kennedy made the remarks while campaigning for Republicans in Grand Rapids, Michigan, alongside GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers and gubernatorial hopeful John James.[6, 8] He also attacked the Muslim Brotherhood, calling it a "death cult," and said Christians in the region had been expelled, dropping from 20% of the population to 4%, which he called genocides.[7, 8]
The New York Times reported the claims about Arabs' awards and literature were false, and Al Jazeera published a fact-check of the remarks.[4, 9] Raw Story described the remarks as "nakedly racist" and said they immediately backfired.[2] The Daily Wire and Blaze Media covered the speech as a message about the Muslim Brotherhood rather than the remarks about Arabs.[7, 8]
Why it matters The remarks drew immediate backlash in a state with the highest percentage of Arab Americans, a week before the midterm elections.[2]
Covered by The New York Times, Newsweek, The Daily Wire and 6 more
Read first RFK Jr. Says 500M Arabs ‘Don’t Produce Science’ at Michigan Rally
Where accounts differ (1)
- FramingLeft-leaning outlets framed the speech around Kennedy's remarks about Arabs, with The New York Times calling them "bigoted" and Raw Story calling them "nakedly racist," while right-leaning outlets The Daily Wire and Blaze Media framed it as a speech attacking the Muslim Brotherhood as a "death cult."[2, 4, 7 +1]
- The Daily Wire · Right · Oct 27, 6:59 a.m. ET RFK Jr. Unloads On Muslim Brotherhood ‘Death Cult’ That Creates Stagnant Societies
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unloaded on the Muslim Brotherhood on the campaign trail in Michigan, branding the radical network a “death cult” hell-bent on extermination. Speaking to a…
- The New York Times · Leans left · Oct 27, 12:18 p.m. ET RFK Jr. Makes Bigoted Remarks About Arabs on the Campaign Trial in Michigan
Stumping for the Republican Senate nominee in Michigan, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. falsely claimed that Arabs did not win global awards for science and “don’t produce literature.”
- The Daily Wire · Right · Oct 27, 6:59 a.m. ET RFK Jr. Unloads On Muslim Brotherhood ‘Death Cult’ That Creates Stagnant Societies
How balanced is this coverage?
Of the 8 rated outlets that covered it, 4 are left of center, 2 are center and 2 are right of center (2 of them in the Right group). 1 more is not rated.
Too few left- or right-leaning outlets to compare: 4 of 42 left-leaning, 2 of 33 center and 2 of 38 right-leaning outlets covered it.
- Left: none.
- Leans left: The New Republic (−1.09), Raw Story (−0.94), MS NOW (−0.76), The New York Times (−0.70).
- Center: Newsweek (−0.30), Mediaite (+0.04).
- Leans right: none.
- Right: Blaze Media (+1.71), The Daily Wire (+2.07).
Not rated Al Jazeera. Not placed: they have no lean score.
Each dot is an outlet that covered it, placed by its audience-lean score (Eady et al. 2025), which measures who shares its links, not how accurate it is. The ticks under the line are all 113 rated outlets Tare reads.