By Sydney Byerly
The Indiana Citizen
June 1, 2026
Top Indiana Republicans would not say Monday whether they agreed with Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s claim that Hoosiers should have “permission to hate again” and his description of Islam as a “demonic death cult.”
The Indiana Citizen contacted Gov. Mike Braun, state legislative leaders and members of the state’s congressional delegation on Monday, seeking responses to Beckwith’s recent remarks on a Christian conservative web talk show.
Clergy groups and Muslim advocacy organizations described Beckwith’s comments as “hate-filled,” and called on Braun to condemn the lieutenant governor’s remarks.
Braun, House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray did not respond on Monday to those requests for comment on Beckwith’s remarks. Nor did U.S. Sens. Jim Banks and Todd Young, as well as the seven Republicans who represent the state in the U.S. House.
Beckwith, meanwhile, has doubled down in subsequent interviews, insisting in an interview with WRTV that in order to be welcome in the United States, Muslims “need to assimilate into the value system of America, which is a Christian foundation.”
The remarks by Beckwith, a self-described Christian nationalist, have sparked days of criticism from Muslim advocacy organizations, clergy groups, Democratic officials and some Republicans.
A coalition that included Jewish, Hindu and interfaith groups condemned Beckwith’s remarks and urged “all elected leaders to uphold the values of religious freedom and equal treatment under the law and to refrain from intolerant and divisive rhetoric targeting specific communities.” U.S. Rep. André Carson likewise called on leaders of both parties to “unequivocally condemn these comments and reject hate in all its forms.”
In a joint statement released Monday, the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis and the Baptist Ministers’ Alliance called Beckwith’s remarks “beneath the dignity of the office he holds” and warned they contribute to “a climate of division, fear, and hostility.”
“As Christian leaders, we affirm our faith without demonizing others’ faith,” the statement says. “We can disagree theologically while still recognizing the humanity, worth, and constitutional rights of our Muslim neighbors.”
The coalitions specifically called on Braun to publicly denounce Beckwith’s remarks, require a “formal and unequivocal retraction,” reaffirm Indiana’s commitment to religious liberty and make clear that “hate-filled rhetoric has no place in the leadership of our state.”
Beckwith kicked off the controversy with his comments in a May 21 FlashPoint appearance, wearing a polo shirt bearing the Indiana lieutenant governor insignia.
“We’re giving people permission to hate again, and I know that sounds a little harsh at first, but we’ve seen this movement to eradicate hate in our culture, that is the worst thing we could do,” Beckwith said.
Beckwith later turned specifically to Islam.
“If radical jihadi mindset starts coming into our state, I’m going to hate it, and I’m going to hate it with everything that I am,” he said. “I’m going to call on others to hate it, because I hate Islam. It’s a demonic death cult.”
He added: “I love Muslims, because they make great Christians when Jesus gets a hold of them, but I hate Islam.”
The comments quickly generated national backlash and prompted calls for Republican leaders to publicly condemn Beckwith’s rhetoric.
Despite the criticism, Beckwith continued defending and expanding on his remarks throughout multiple media appearances over the weekend.
During a Friday interview on Fort Wayne’s Morning News WOWO with Kayla Blakeslee, Beckwith said he was “glad” the controversy was receiving national attention because Islam “needs to be called out by every pro-American legislator.”
He also compared Islam to criminal behavior and argued criticism of his remarks was inconsistent with Democratic support for LGBTQ rights.
“I find it funny that the Democrat Senate caucus put out a condemnation statement about me yesterday,” Beckwith said on WOWO. “Here’s the caucus celebrating Pride Month in a matter of days, and then they’re mad that I’m calling out the religion that throws Pride Month off of buildings.”
Beckwith additionally said he had discussed possible anti-Sharia legislation with Indiana lawmakers and predicted “there’s gonna be a bill this year” similar to laws enacted in several Republican-led states, such as Florida and Texas, limiting the use of foreign legal codes in state courts.
When asked about an invitation from Muslim leaders to visit a mosque, Beckwith said he would “happily” go and joked that he “might wear a crusader outfit” — a reference invoking the medieval Christian Crusades, which remain deeply sensitive historical symbols in Christian-Muslim relations.
“I love Muslims,” Beckwith said during the WOWO interview. “I hate their ideology.”
He repeatedly described Islam as a political movement rather than a religion and claimed Muslims seek to “immigrate, populate and then dominate” American communities.
“It’s a cult, it’s not a religion,” Beckwith said. “We do not like cults in America.”
Beckwith also argued Muslims are welcome in America only if they “assimilate” into what he described as a constitutional system rooted in Christian values.
“You need to assimilate into the value system of America, which is a Christian foundation,” he said during a separate WRTV interview.
In that same interview, Beckwith claimed mosques are “political centers” and “military centers” rather than institutions comparable to churches.
The remarks have triggered condemnation from Muslim advocacy organizations, Democratic officials, clergy groups and even some Republicans.
Whitley Yates, who helped lead the Indiana Republican Party’s diversity and engagement efforts during former Gov. Eric Holcomb’s administration, admonished Beckwith in a social media post, referencing both Beckwith’s past comments defending aspects of the Constitution’s Three-Fifths Compromise and the conviction of Jonathan Peternel, the son of one of Beckwith’s longtime allies and ministry partners, for child exploitation and possession of child sex abuse material.
“Our Lieutenant Governor has made comments on everything from the 3/5 compromise to hating Islam but I’m struggling to find any statements on Jonathan Peternel the convicted child sex offender that he shared a pulpit with,” Yates wrote.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears also condemned Beckwith’s rhetoric in a social media statement, calling the comments “a pathetic attempt to divide us.”
“It is disheartening, and frankly embarrassing, to see someone elected to represent all Hoosiers double and triple down on hateful rhetoric,” Mears, a Democrat, wrote in a social media post.
Beckwith responded by accusing Mears of “defending Sharia Law” and said the prosecutor should spend “more time protecting Hoosiers by enforcing our own laws.”
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA also released a statement over the weekend condemning Beckwith’s remarks as “reckless, demeaning, and beneath the dignity of a public office.”
“At a time when public officials should be lowering the temperature, building trust, and protecting the dignity of all citizens, language that portrays an entire faith as hateful or dangerous only fuels division and misunderstanding,” the organization said in a statement.
The Indiana Citizen will update this story if Republican leaders respond.
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.
