Texas GOP Senate candidate Alexander Duncan sparks backlash for anti-Hanuman remarks, Hindu groups demand action. Photos: X.
Alexander Duncan, a Republican leader, has made ‘derogatory’ remarks against a Hanuman statue while questioning the idol worship and invoking the bible. The leader who is associated with US President Donald Trump’s party publicly opposed the construction of the ‘Statue of Union,’ a 90-foot monument of Lord Hanuman in Texas.
The comments come amid rising tensions between the US and India as Trump continues with anti-India actions and rhetoric. The two countries are facing disputes in trade and tariffs. Anti-India and anti-Hindu rhetoric has seen a surge online in the past few months. In the latest move, Trump announced a USD 100,000 fee for H-1B visas, a charge that has disproportionately affected Indian applicants.
Alexander Duncan, who is campaigning for a Senate seat in Texas, posted a video of the Hanuman statue, inaugurated in August 2024, and wrote on X, “Why are we allowing a false statue of a false Hindu God to be here in Texas? We are a Christian nation!”
Duncan later quoted the Bible, “You must not have any other god but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.”
The Hanuman statue, located at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple, is the tallest in North America. Since its inauguration, it has faced significant criticism from Trump supporters and conservative circles online, with some labeling it a “foreign deity” and others calling it “demonic.”
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Media coverage has also fueled discontent. Newsweek ran a headline describing the monument as a “Huge half-monkey, half-human statue in Texas,” which Hindu groups viewed as derogatory.
On social media platforms, some conservatives even claimed the statue resembled George Floyd, the Black man whose death in 2021 sparked nationwide protests and outrage.
Duncan’s comments drew backlash from the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), which described his statement as “anti-Hindu and inflammatory.” The group also formally reported the matter to the Texas Republican Party, urging action against the candidate.
In a post on X, HAF wrote, “Hello @TexasGOP, will you be disciplining your Senate candidate from your party who openly contravenes your own guidelines against discrimination – displaying some pretty sordid anti-Hindu hate – not to mention disrespect for the 1st Amendment’s Establishment Clause?”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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