Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) is once again under fire—this time for attacking a Sikh man who delivered a prayer before Congress, wrongly calling him a Muslim and saying it should have never been allowed.
“It’s deeply troubling that a Muslim was allowed to lead prayer in the House of Representatives this morning,” Miller posted Friday on X. “This should have never been allowed to happen.”
She doubled down, writing: “America was founded as a Christian nation, and I believe our government should reflect that truth.”
The problem? The man she blasted—Giani Surinder Singh—is not Muslim. He’s Sikh. Singh leads a Sikh congregation in New Jersey and was invited as a guest faith leader to give the daily prayer, a tradition in Congress that allows religious leaders of all backgrounds to participate.
After the backlash began, Miller edited the post to correct Singh’s religion—then deleted it entirely. Her office hasn’t responded to media requests and she hasn’t said anything publicly about the mistake.
The reaction from both parties was immediate and fierce. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries didn’t hold back:
“It’s deeply troubling that such an ignorant and hateful extremist is serving in the United States Congress. That would be you, Mary.”
Even Republican Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) spoke out.
“I’m troubled by my colleague’s remarks about this morning’s Sikh prayer, which have since been deleted. Throughout the country—and in the Central Valley—Sikh-Americans are valued and respected members of our communities, yet they continue to face harassment and discrimination.”
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), who opened the session, praised Singh’s message: “Day after day, year after year, he leads not just with words, but with example, with peace, with humility, with service towards all. These are not just Sikh values. They are American values.”
Civil rights groups quickly condemned Miller, with Harman Singh of the Sikh Coalition calling for an apology.
“Congresswoman Miller should apologize for her remarks—to both the Sikh and Muslim communities, because no one should be targeted on the basis of their identity,” he said.
Haris Tarin, vice president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, called it what it was: “We were intentionally founded as a nation of all faiths. Apparently she must have forgotten about the First Amendment in this country.”
Miller is no stranger to controversy. In 2021, she was slammed for quoting Adolf Hitler during a rally: “Hitler was right about one thing. He said whoever has the youth has the future.”
She later apologized—but the pattern of incendiary statements hasn’t stopped.
