U.S. Rep. John James’ recent remarks on the conservative television network Newsmax were not merely an unfortunate slip of the tongue that can be brushed aside with a routine apology. They amount to a full-fledged political disgrace and reveal a profound disconnect from the social and demographic reality of Michigan, the very state he now hopes to govern as the Republican nominee for governor.

“I didn’t go to Iraq and fight extremists there just to have them show up on our doorstep here,” James declared, referring to Dearborn’s recent Ashura procession. His remarks suggest that the mindset of a wartime helicopter pilot has been carried directly into Michigan politics, despite the fact that this state is home to one of the largest Arab American and Muslim communities in the United States.

If James truly intends to use America’s experience in Iraq as the lens through which he would govern Michigan — a war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, displaced millions and left Iraq struggling with years of social fragmentation and economic devastation — then Michigan voters should be deeply concerned about what his leadership would look like should he prevail in both the Republican primary in August and the general election in November.

Comparing Dearborn’s peaceful Ashura procession to the “extremists” he claims to have fought in Iraq demonstrates not only a profound misunderstanding of the religious traditions practiced by a significant segment of Michigan’s population, but also an astonishing failure to grasp the political realities of the state he seeks to lead.

Comparing Dearborn’s peaceful Ashura procession to Iraqi extremists reflects a profound misunderstanding of Michigan’s people and its political reality.

The irony extends well beyond religious ignorance. It reflects political blindness.

The last presidential election proved beyond question that Michigan is not won by demonizing minority communities or manufacturing imaginary enemies. It is won by engaging with them, listening to them and earning their trust. That lesson was understood long before John James recognized it by the leader of his own party, Donald Trump.

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump made the politically risky but ultimately successful decision to visit Dearborn, meeting with Arab American and Muslim community leaders and residents while listening to voters frustrated with Democratic policies. That pragmatic outreach became one of the building blocks of his narrow victory in Michigan, where roughly 80,000 votes separated the candidates.

Rather than learning from that example, James has chosen to embrace divisive right-wing rhetoric, erecting an unnecessary wall of hostility between himself and one of Michigan’s most important voting blocs. In doing so, he has demonstrated that he learned little from recent elections, unlike Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson, who quickly secured the endorsement of the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC).

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of James’ remarks is the moral contradiction they expose.

As an African American, James comes from a community that endured generations of discrimination, stereotyping and political exclusion. One would expect him to recognize the fears and concerns of other marginalized communities, particularly Arab Americans and Muslim Americans, who continue to face suspicion, discrimination and growing Islamophobia.

Instead, he has chosen to embrace the very exclusionary mindset that was once used against his own community, invoking his military service to justify rhetoric that unfairly casts suspicion on fellow Americans exercising rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.

Michigan’s strength has always rested in its diversity, not in portraying peaceful religious communities as security threats.

The Ashura procession that appears to have disturbed James is a peaceful religious observance commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and symbolizing resistance to injustice and oppression. Many of those participating are themselves survivors, or descendants of survivors, of the U.S. invasion of Iraq or Israel’s repeated military aggression in Lebanon, carried out with U.S. support. These communities understand war not as an abstract political slogan but as lived experience marked by loss, displacement and suffering.

James’ statement leaves little doubt that he misunderstands both the state he seeks to govern and the diverse population he hopes to represent. More troubling still, it raises serious questions about his political judgment and his ability to lead a state whose strength has always rested in its diversity.

His Newsmax interview generated thousands of reactions on social media. One commenter observed, “John James knows nothing about his state or the people who live in Michigan. That’s embarrassing.”

We agree.

It would be embarrassing if John James were elected governor of Michigan. It is equally embarrassing that he currently represents this state in the United States Congress.

Having already lost two statewide U.S. Senate races — first to former Sen. Debbie Stabenow and later to Sen. Gary Peters — James is now seeking statewide office once again. Whether Michigan voters will give him a third opportunity remains to be seen.