Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana isn’t new to the political stage. He’s the folksy, drawling Republican who often projects the image of a straight-shooting, no-nonsense politician. But behind that southern charm is a man skilled in the art of deflection, eager to twist facts and turn critical moments into cheap political theater. His latest performance—because, let’s face it, that’s all it was—came during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on hate crimes, where instead of addressing the urgent issue at hand, he turned his attention to Maya Berry, the executive director of the Arab American Institute. And what did he do? He launched into a disgraceful and ill-informed interrogation that would have made the ghosts of McCarthyism proud.
To set the stage, this hearing wasn’t just another Capitol Hill spectacle. It was supposed to focus on something serious: the dramatic rise in hate crimes targeting both Muslim and Jewish communities in the wake of escalating violence in the Middle East. It was an opportunity for politicians to confront the dangerous bigotry sweeping through the nation—hate that’s killing people in the streets. Instead, Kennedy used it as a platform to peddle Islamophobia, displaying an utter disregard for facts, decency, and the basic tenets of his job.
Kennedy’s attacks on Berry weren’t just distasteful; they were a calculated distraction. He came in with one goal: to paint her, an Arab American, as a supporter of terrorism. The method was simple: throw out the names of terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, badger her about whether she supports them, and then ignore her responses when she repeatedly, clearly, and unequivocally disavowed them. This wasn’t about getting to the truth; it was about manipulating public perception.
Let’s talk about the stunning hypocrisy here. This is a man who has made a career out of claiming to stand for American values—values like fairness, justice, and respect for the Constitution. Yet in that hearing, Kennedy abandoned all of those principles. He ignored the evidence, twisted Berry’s words, and continued to hammer her with the same baseless accusations. It was as if he had decided beforehand that she was guilty of some imaginary crime and was determined to sentence her in the court of public opinion, regardless of what she actually said. How American of him.
The UNRWA Smokescreen
Kennedy wasn’t just concerned with associating Berry with Hamas or Hezbollah—he took it a step further by attempting to smear her for supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). For those unfamiliar, UNRWA provides essential humanitarian services to Palestinian refugees, millions of whom have been displaced for decades due to ongoing conflict. But Kennedy, always looking for an opportunity to equate humanitarian efforts with terrorism, jumped at the chance to conflate Berry’s support for UNRWA with support for Hamas.
UNRWA has been a lifeline for millions of Palestinians. It provides education, healthcare, and emergency assistance to some of the most vulnerable populations in the world. Yet in Kennedy’s warped worldview, supporting an organization that feeds and educates children is somehow akin to backing terrorism. Is this the logic we’ve come to expect from a sitting U.S. senator? Let’s not forget, this is the same man who regularly touts his commitment to protecting American values. But when it comes to protecting innocent Palestinian lives? Suddenly, he’s against humanitarian aid.
Kennedy’s willingness to twist the truth to suit his narrative reached new heights when he accused UNRWA staff members of aiding Hamas during the October 7th attack on Israel. Without providing evidence, he implied that because a handful of individuals were under investigation, the entire organization—and by extension, Berry—was complicit in terrorism. It’s the kind of guilt-by-association tactic that belongs in a kangaroo court, not in a Senate hearing.
But let’s call this what it really is: a cynical attempt to silence any criticism of U.S. policies toward Israel and Palestine by labeling anyone who dares speak up as a terrorist sympathizer. Kennedy isn’t interested in the truth, and he certainly isn’t interested in finding solutions to the rise of hate crimes in America. His only goal was to make Berry—and by extension, Arab Americans—seem suspicious, untrustworthy, and dangerous. He wanted to paint her as the “other,” the enemy within, and he didn’t care how many facts he had to trample in the process.
“You Should Hide Your Head in a Bag”
Then came the pièce de résistance: Kennedy’s despicable, bullying remark that Berry should “hide her head in a bag.” Let that sink in for a moment. Here is a sitting U.S. senator, in a public forum, telling an American citizen, a leader of a civil rights organization, to literally hide her face. The sheer venom and audacity of that statement should shock anyone with even a shred of decency.
Kennedy’s comment wasn’t just a moment of uncouth rudeness; it was a full-frontal assault on Arab Americans and Muslims in the United States. It played directly into the ugly Islamophobic trope that Arab Americans, by virtue of their ethnicity or religion, have something to be ashamed of. And worse, it reinforced the idea that they should remain silent, invisible, and hidden—because in Kennedy’s America, their voices don’t matter.
The senator’s remark was particularly galling because it came in the context of a hearing that was supposed to address the very real dangers of hate crimes. But instead of acknowledging the threat that anti-Muslim and anti-Arab violence poses to American lives, Kennedy chose to double down on the very rhetoric that fuels these crimes. It’s the kind of hate that leads to real-world consequences—like the murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy in Chicago, stabbed to death because of his identity. Does Senator Kennedy really think that telling an Arab American woman to “hide her head in a bag” doesn’t contribute to that kind of violence?
Kennedy’s defenders might say that he was simply being tough on Berry, holding her accountable for her positions. But let’s be clear: there is a world of difference between asking tough questions and engaging in a smear campaign. Kennedy wasn’t looking for answers; he was looking for a soundbite. He wasn’t interested in fostering dialogue or understanding; he was interested in grandstanding for his political base. And in doing so, he wasn’t just derailing an important discussion—he was actively contributing to the problem of hate in America.
The Cowardice of Bullies
Senator Kennedy’s behavior during the hearing wasn’t just offensive; it was cowardly. Bullies like Kennedy rely on their ability to intimidate and silence those who don’t have the same platform or power that they do. But Berry didn’t back down. She stood her ground, calmly refuting Kennedy’s lies and refusing to let him paint her as a villain. It was a powerful moment of resistance against the kind of political bullying that has become all too common in today’s Republican Party.
But Kennedy’s cowardice extends beyond his behavior in that hearing room. He’s part of a broader movement in American politics that seeks to stoke fear and division, all while pretending to defend American values. Politicians like Kennedy use their positions of power to vilify marginalized communities, knowing full well that their words have consequences. They exploit fear and ignorance to score political points, never once considering the damage they are doing to the fabric of American society.
And make no mistake: Kennedy’s actions during that hearing weren’t an isolated incident. They are part of a broader trend in the Republican Party of using Islamophobia and xenophobia as political tools. From Donald Trump’s Muslim ban to the endless demonization of refugees and immigrants, this is a party that has repeatedly shown its willingness to weaponize fear and hatred for political gain. Kennedy’s performance was just the latest chapter in that shameful history.
A National Embarrassment
Let’s not mince words: Senator John Kennedy’s behavior during that hearing was a national embarrassment. It was a stark reminder of just how low our political discourse has sunk, how far certain members of Congress are willing to go to score cheap political points, and how little regard they have for the truth or for basic human decency.
Kennedy’s attacks on Maya Berry weren’t just an assault on her—they were an assault on every Arab American, every Muslim American, and every person who believes that our government should represent all its citizens, not just the ones who fit into a narrow, bigoted view of what it means to be “American.” His behavior was disgraceful, his tactics were dirty, and his message was clear: if you don’t fit into his version of America, you should keep your head down, your mouth shut, and your identity hidden.
But here’s the thing: people like Maya Berry won’t hide their heads in bags. Arab Americans won’t be silenced, and they certainly won’t be intimidated by the likes of Senator John Kennedy. The real shame isn’t on Berry or on those who speak out against injustice—it’s on Kennedy and his ilk, who continue to use their power to promote hatred and division. And that’s something all of us should remember the next time Senator Kennedy tries to pass himself off as a defender of American values. Because his actions speak far louder than his words, and what they’re saying is ugly, dangerous, and utterly un-American.
