By Sydney Byerly
The Indiana Citizen
June 3, 2026
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith feuded on social media Wednesday with fellow Indiana Republicans who criticized his attacks on Islam and calls to give Americans “permission to hate again.”
A day after Gov. Mike Braun suggested Beckwith “probably regrets” how he phrased his comments made on a May 21 Flashpoint appearance, Beckwith signaled he was standing by them with multiple posts to his personal page.
“Just in case anyone is wondering … I say what I mean and I mean what I say!” Beckwith wrote on X. “I didn’t get into politics to tickle the ears of the Marion/Hamilton Co. country club Republicans or the Marxist Democrats. If that offends you … buy a helmet,” he added, alongside a snowflake emoji often used online to ridicule people viewed as easily offended.
The post appeared to be a response to Braun’s comments Tuesday that Beckwith’s use of the word “hate” had distracted from whatever point he was attempting to make.
Beckwith also escalated disputes with fellow Republicans who have publicly criticized or distanced themselves from his remarks.
In a post directed at state Treasurer Daniel Elliott, Beckwith accused the fellow statewide officeholder of supporting “radical Islam” after Elliott told The Indiana Citizen that Beckwith’s comments did not reflect Hoosier values.
“That isn’t who we are as Hoosiers,” Elliott said in an interview published Tuesday. “We’re a very accepting state. I think the comments were made by somebody who likes attention.”
Beckwith fired back Wednesday, writing that Elliott “wants to bring radical Islam into INDIANA” and suggesting the treasurer was willing to tolerate beliefs that “hate Jews,” call for “death to America,” and subjugate women and children.
“He thinks this is about me wanting attention??” Beckwith wrote. “Why are GOP Boomers such cowards?!?”
Beckwith concluded the post by defending his earlier call to “hate evil” and warning that Indiana could face an “Islamist takeover” similar to what he claimed had occurred in the United Kingdom, a reference to longstanding arguments from some conservative activists that increased Muslim immigration has undermined British culture and institutions.
Beckwith’s post also drew a response from Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette, who has repeatedly criticized the lieutenant governor’s comments in recent days.
Responding in the comments of Beckwith’s post about Elliott, Deery argued that Hoosiers are capable of distinguishing between violent extremist groups and ordinary Muslims.
“Hoosiers are able to distinguish between the Taliban or al-Qaeda and the faith of someone like Muslim MAHA leader Dr. Mehmet Oz, or the many Muslim Hoosiers who honorably serve our state as doctors, entrepreneurs, and educators,” Deery wrote.
“There are good and bad people in all Abrahamic faiths,” he continued. “Being able to distinguish the KKK from Christians, or the Taliban from Muslims, is part of being a thinking adult. Blurring those lines is a danger to people of all faiths.”
Deery has emerged as one of the most outspoken Republican critics of Beckwith’s remarks. Last week, he argued that rhetoric from “the second-highest official in Indiana’s executive branch” threatens America’s tradition of religious liberty and later told Based in Lafayette that Beckwith’s comments were “so out of bounds for someone in his position that someone needed to speak up.”
Beckwith also continued defending his earlier remarks by accusing Democrats of supporting Sharia law.
In another Wednesday post, Beckwith on his official account claimed the Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus had expressed support for Sharia law and mocked the caucus for also recognizing Pride Month.
“Considering Sharia Law wants to throw Pride Month off a building, this seems confusing,” Beckwith wrote, arguing the Caucus was inconsistent with constitutional protections for religious freedom.
Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, on Tuesday noted there has been no effort to impose Sharia law in Indiana. She accused Beckwith of promoting division rather than addressing the challenges many Hoosiers families are facing trying to pay for utilities, groceries and childcare.
“When I see that we have our lieutenant governor making comments about this — teaching hate as a value and using taxpayer money to travel the state to do that — it doesn’t move us forward,” Yoder said.
Beckwith’s latest comments come after a week of controversy surrounding remarks he made on the Christian conservative program FlashPoint, where he said Americans need “permission to hate again” and described Islam as a “demonic death cult.”
Since then, Beckwith has repeatedly defended those comments, criticized Jewish leaders who condemned them, and accused those not in agreement with his statements of supporting Sharia law. On Wednesday, he again targeted Democrats, falsely claiming the Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus had outright expressed support for Sharia law.
The controversy has prompted criticism from Muslim organizations, interfaith leaders, local elected officials and members of Beckwith’s own party. A handful of Republican officeholders told The Indiana Citizen they disagreed with or were troubled by his comments.
Sydney Byerly is a political reporter who grew up in New Albany, Indiana. Before joining The Citizen, Sydney reported news for TheStatehouseFile.com and most recently managed and edited The Corydon Democrat & Clarion News in southern Indiana. She earned her bachelor’s in journalism at Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism (‘Sco Griz!).
The Indiana Citizen is a nonpartisan, nonprofit platform dedicated to increasing the number of informed and engaged Hoosier citizens. We are operated by the Indiana Citizen Education Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity. For questions about the story, contact Marilyn Odendahl at marilyn.odendahl@indianacitizen.org.
