Republican Florida Rep. Randy Fine blasted the Democratic Party over its handling of antisemitism, arguing that while extremists exist on both sides of the political aisle, Republicans reject theirs while Democrats increasingly elevate them.
Speaking with The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI at the Republican Jewish Coalition Leadership Summit in Las Vegas, Fine drew a stark distinction between the two parties.
“Both parties have antisemites. I just ran against one,” Fine said. “The difference is we crush ours, we smite ours, we beat ours. They celebrate theirs, they elect theirs.”
Fine, who is Jewish, was referring to his recent congressional race against a candidate whom he described as an “open Nazi” who said the country needed to “revisit Hitler.”
“I ran against an open Nazi who said we need to revisit Hitler, who inspired someone to write a swastika on my yard signs, to send me a death threat,” Fine told KVI.
Fine said the experience reinforced a distinction he sees between how Republicans and Democrats respond to antisemitism within their ranks.
“I don’t think it’s good for America for one of the two parties to be an open Jew-hatred party,” Fine said. “Doesn’t make me happy. It’s good for me as a Republican, it’s bad for me as an American. And I wish it wasn’t the case. But I do think the Democratic Party is lost.”
Fine pointed to Jewish Democrats in Michigan who have said they no longer feel comfortable within their own party.
“And I would say this to any Jewish person: you’re not gonna get a sideways look, whether you’re here or whether you’re at President Trump’s midterm convention in two weeks,” Fine said.
“Jews are welcome in the Republican Party. They are not in the Democratic Party, and that’s a sad fact.”
Fine’s comments come as Democrats continue wrestling with bitter internal divisions over Israel and antisemitism following the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and the subsequent war.
During the interview, Hoffman noted that the divide has also surfaced in Washington state Democratic politics, where Jewish Democrats have raised concerns about hostility toward Israel and antisemitism within the party.
The issue has become particularly acute in Washington state.
The Washington State Democratic Party’s 2026 platform states that there has been a “dramatic resurgence in antisemitism” across the political spectrum, but says it is “due in part to actions taken by the Israeli government.” The platform also says the party rejects “forms of Zionism” that it characterizes as rooted in supremacy.
The language drew criticism from Jewish Democrats in the state Legislature. Democratic state Sen. Jesse Salomon, co-chair of the Legislature’s Jewish Caucus, said party leaders had effectively spoken on behalf of Jewish Democrats without adequately including them in the process.
“It is clear that unless one is willing to denounce all affinity for the Jewish state, we are not welcome in many progressive spaces,” Salomon told JNS. “No other identity group is subjected to that.”
Democratic state Sen. Lisa Wellman, who is also Jewish, separately said the platform left her questioning whether she still belonged in the party. After a decade as a Democratic leader in the Legislature, Wellman said she contacted Washington Democratic Party Chair Shasti Conrad seeking a meeting and indicated that she was considering leaving the party.
The state party went even further at its June convention. Delegates approved a resolution accusing Israel of “genocide,” “ethnic cleansing” and “apartheid” and calling for a full US arms embargo and suspension of military and intelligence assistance to Israel.
The Washington State Democratic Party subsequently issued a press release announcing the resolution and calling on every Democratic congressional candidate in Washington to publicly support ending US military aid to Israel.
Those developments give Fine’s warning to Jewish voters particular resonance in Washington.
“Jews are welcome in the Republican Party,” Fine told KVI. “They are not in the Democratic Party, and that’s a sad fact.”
Fine argued the issue goes beyond political disagreements over Israel, saying he believes some members of Congress are fundamentally hostile toward the United States.
“One of the things that I’ve learned since I got to Congress is we cannot say that everyone who serves in Congress wants the best for America,” Fine said. “There are Democrats who seek to destroy America.”
Fine specifically named Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib before issuing one of his strongest warnings of the interview.
“The barbarians aren’t outside the gates. They’re not even inside the gates. They’re running for Congress, and they’re coming to destroy the country,” Fine said. “And everyone needs to understand that.”
Fine also framed the upcoming midterm elections as something larger than the traditional ideological fight between Republicans and Democrats.
“The choice is actually not between two visions of America,” Fine said. “The choice is between a vision of America that is successful and a vision that seeks to destroy America.”
For Fine, however, the Republican Jewish Coalition gathering was also personal.
He told KVI he had attended RJC events long before becoming a member of Congress and described the organization as “family.”
“I’ve actually been coming to this since before I was elected to the state legislature, let alone Congress,” Fine said. “For me, coming every year is like coming home.”
Now, instead of watching from the audience, Fine finds himself addressing the organization as a member of Congress — and using that platform to make his pitch directly to Jewish voters.
“Jews are welcome in the Republican Party,” Fine said. “They are not in the Democratic Party, and that’s a sad fact.”