Published October 22, 2018 A publication by Muslim Advocates Muslim Advocates is a national legal advocacy and educational organization that works on the frontlines of civil rights to guarantee freedom and justice for Americans of all faiths. Muslim Advocates www.muslimadvocates.org
[email protected] © All rights reserved. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 01 2. METHODOLOGY 04 3. THE GRAND MUSLIM CONSPIRACY, DEFINED 06 4. THE CONSPIRACY CANDIDATES OF 2017 AND 2018 08 5. AMERICAN MUSLIM CANDIDATES UNDER ATTACK 13 6. A SMALL AND HOSTILE SLIVER 17 7. RUNNING TO LOSE 22 • BACKLASH 27 • REMOVALS, RECALLS, AND DROP OUTS 30 • LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NOVEMBER 2018 GENERAL ELECTION 34 8. CONCLUSION AND LOOKING AHEAD TO 2020 36 APPENDIX I - CHART - ANTI-MUSLIM CANDIDATES IN 2017 AND 2018 RACES 37 APPENDIX II - COOK POLITICAL REPORT RATINGS FOR PENDING RACES 40 APPENDIX III - DETAILED POLLING RESULTS 41 ENDNOTES 49 01 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY For years, a small yet resilient anti-Muslim conspiracy has lived on the TRUMP’S margins of American politics with a beachhead on the fringes of the Republican Party: that there is an imminent Muslim threat aiming to CANDIDACY, take over the country through both violent and non-violent means. ELECTION, AND This fringe has had modest electoral success for years, with several PRESIDENCY standard-bearers in Congress and statehouses, but the election of EMBOLDENED A Donald Trump put one of their own in the White House for the very NEW WAVE OF first time. Trump parroted the signature conspiracies, chapter and verse: