RFK Jr. ’s Arab Comments Draw Fact‑Check Rebuke

At a campaign stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made several controversial remarks. He backed Senate hopeful Mike Rogers and the GOP’s gubernatorial nominee John James. Kennedy spoke about the Muslim Brotherhood group, saying it was not Islamophobic, but described the organization as a violent faction that promotes aggression. He then claimed there are about 500 million Arabs worldwide, arguing they produce no science, never win Nobel, Fields, or Wolf prizes, and create no notable literature.

A fact‑check quickly showed the claims were wrong. Multiple Arabs have earned Nobel Prizes in different fields. Ahmed Zewail won Chemistry in 1999, Moungi Bawendi took Chemistry in 2023, and Omar M. Yaghi received Chemistry in 2025. Zewail and Yaghi also secured the Wolf Prize in Chemistry (1993 and 2018). Four Arabs have won the Nobel Peace Prize: Anwar Sadat (1978), Yasser Arafat (1994), Mohamed El Baradei (2005), and Tawakkol Karman (2011). The Arab group National Dialogue Quartet also earned the Peace Prize in 2015. Naguib Mahfouz claimed the Nobel for Literature in 1988.

Shadi Hamid, a political writer, explained that the Brotherhood does not speak for all Arabs. He noted the current administration often paints the group as a threat, using it as a scare tactic. He warned that lumping all Arabs or Muslims together is prejudice. Khaled Beydoun, a law professor at Arizona State University, said Kennedy confused ethnicity with religion. Beydoun pointed out Detroit has sizable Christian Arab communities, calling Kennedy’s remarks deeply uninformed.

The health agency declined to comment when asked about the statements.