GOP senator in brutal primary praised Islamic charity after feds cut terror-scrutinized parent, review finds
Texas Sen. John Cornyn has repeatedly praised the American arm of Islamic Relief Worldwide — a charity the State Department cut ties with in 2021 amid concerns including praise of...
By Fox News · Fox News
Texas Sen. John Cornyn has repeatedly praised the American arm of Islamic Relief Worldwide — a charity the State Department cut ties with in 2021 amid concerns including praise of terrorists and antisemitism . After the State Department aired its concerns regarding Islamic Relief Worldwide, Cornyn had kind words for its American branch. A Fox News Digital review uncovered two video messages and two letters where Cornyn commended Islamic Relief USA or endorsed the organization’s operations. "Thanks to my friends at Islamic Relief USA for all their humanitarian work," Cornyn said in a May 2021 video address to the organization. A year later, the senator wrote a letter to Islamic Relief USA to "recognize and thank" the organization for its "humanitarian efforts across Texas and our nation." In a 2023 letter , Cornyn again referred to IRUSA as "friends" and commended the group for its "dedication to serving our most vulnerable neighbors." Cornyn is locked in a heated Senate primary runoff election against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton has repeatedly questioned Cornyn's conservative bona fides, while Cornyn has responded by highlighting the attorney general's corruption scandals. Both candidates have made opposition to what they perceive as radical Islam focal points of their campaigns. CORNYN WARNS PAXTON WOULD BE 'KISS OF DEATH' FOR GOP AS BLOODY PRIMARY RACE RAMPS UP In late 2025, Islamic Relief USA moved to sever ties with Islamic Relief Worldwide, arguing that the conduct of its parent organization has significantly damaged Islamic Relief USA's reputation. Leaders at both Islamic Relief USA and Islamic Relief Worldwide historically have maintained ties to the Muslim Brotherhood , a multinational Islamist political movement, and expressed hostility toward Jewish people, according to social media posts and photographs unearthed by the Middle East Forum. Some branches of the Muslim Brotherhood have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the…