Cory Booker Criticizes Tulsi Gabbard's Remarks on Paterson's Muslim Community
On December 26, 2025, Fox News reported on a dispute between Cory Booker and Tulsi Gabbard over Gabbard's remarks regarding Paterson, New Jersey's Muslim community made during her AmericaFest speech. Booker condemned Gabbard's statements as dangerous and accused her of smearing Muslim Americans in Paterson, thereby endangering the community. In her address, Gabbard warned that Islamist ideology is political and poses a threat to Western freedom. She cited examples of Islamist activity in areas such as Dearborn near Detroit and Minneapolis, and alleged efforts to implement Sharia law in Houston and Paterson. Gabbard claimed Paterson is the first Muslim city in the U.S. and asserted it is attempting to incorporate Islamic principles into its government through laws or violence; however, Paterson officials rejected this characterization. Mayor Andre Sayegh of Paterson condemned Gabbard as egregiously misinformed and emphasized the positive contributions of Muslims to the city’s social and economic fabric. The city had also approved a 2020 ordinance permitting the broadcast of the Adhan. National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent defended Gabbard, criticizing Booker and President Biden, and claimed that thousands of terrorists had entered the U.S., linking this to Biden administration policies and the Afghanistan withdrawal. Paterson is located between New York City and the Delaware Water Gap and is home to a sizable Arab Christian and Muslim community. It reportedly has the second-highest percentage of Muslims in New Jersey after Hamtramck, Michigan.
