U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, who has a history of anti-Islam rhetoric, lost the Republican primary in Tennessee despite receiving support from former President Donald Trump.
With nearly 90% of votes counted, Ogles fell to Charlie Hatcher, a former state agriculture commissioner, by 6.6 percentage points. The defeat stands out as a rare setback for Trump-backed candidates, who typically dominate GOP primaries.
Earlier that day, Trump had given Ogles his "complete and total" endorsement. Hatcher, who calls himself a Trump supporter, also received late backing from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee.
Ogles, first elected in 2022, ran in a district redrawn by Republicans to maintain their House majority. This loss marked the second time this week a Trump-endorsed candidate lost a primary, following Amir Hassan's defeat in Michigan by Thomas Smith.
Ogles, a staunch Israel supporter, sparked outrage in March with a post on X: "Muslims do not belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie." In 2024, when an activist asked him about Palestinian children killed by U.S.-supplied bombs, he responded, "I think we should kill them all," adding, "All of Hamas."
Hatcher rejected Ogles's anti-Muslim statements, noting that Muslim Americans are law-abiding citizens and that Muslim soldiers in the U.S. military are exceptional fighters.
Hatcher will face Chaz Molder, the Democratic mayor of Columbia, in November's general election. The district leans Republican, but Democrats are eyeing voter discontent over the economy and the Iran conflict to compete nationwide.
