Islamism warning ignited a sharp political clash after Sen. Cory Booker accused Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard of endangering New Jersey communities with remarks about radical Islam. The Islamism warning came during Gabbard’s speech to AmericaFest in Phoenix, where she outlined national security threats tied to Islamist ideology and referenced Paterson, New Jersey.
Booker criticized Gabbard for mentioning Paterson, a city with one of the highest Muslim populations in the country. “Tulsi Gabbard’s dangerous attempt to sow fear, pit people against each other, and smear the Muslim Americans of Paterson, NJ is dishonest, cruel, and un-American — it endangers an entire community,” Booker said. He added, “In Jersey, we know our state’s diversity is our strength, and we stand up for our own.”
During her address, Gabbard distinguished between individual religious belief and Islamist ideology, which she described as a political movement. She warned it seeks to “create a global caliphate that governs us here in America” and enforces Sharia law. “If you dare to exercise your God-given right to free speech,” Gabbard said, extremists “will use violence or any means they deem as necessary to silence us.”
Gabbard cited cities including Dearborn, Minneapolis, Houston, and Paterson, claiming advocacy efforts tied to Sharia law governance were emerging. “Paterson is proud to call themselves the first Muslim city,” she said. “They are working to implement in their own governments these Islamic principles.”
Paterson officials rejected the claims. Mayor Andre Sayegh called Gabbard “egregiously misinformed,” saying, “We’re a better city because Muslims call Paterson home.”
National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent defended Gabbard and countered Booker, blaming Democratic policies for security failures. “The insane policies championed by Booker and the Democrat Party… have allowed a staggering 18,000 known and suspected terrorists to enter our nation,” Kent said, adding that recent jihadist attacks underscore the risks.
