 "‘End Islam in Texas': Who is Valentina Gomez, Maga candidate who sparked uproar by burning Quran?")
A far-right Maga candidate has once again sparked a major controversy. After burning LGBTQ-inclusive books last year, Valentina Gomez has now sent tempers flaring with her anti-Islamic campaign ad.
The 26-year-old is running for Texas’ 31st District in 2026 as a Republican. She has come to be known for her inflammatory and hateful remarks.
Let’s take a look at what happened and who she is.
Valentina Gomez burns Quran
Valentina Gomez has shared an anti-Islamic campaign ad in which she can be seen setting fire to the Quran with a flamethrower.
She shared the video on X as part of her vow to “end Islam” in Texas.
Only one per cent of Texas’s population is Muslim.
“Your daughters will be raped and your sons beheaded, unless we stop Islam once and for all,” Gomez said before burning a copy of the holy book of Muslims.
“America is a Christian nation, so those terrorist Muslims can f*** off to any of the 57 Muslim nations. There is only one true God, and that is the God of Israel.”
The clip shows her dressed in camo pants and a black campaign T-shirt featuring the silhouette of a rifle.
The video ends with a campaign logo in which the ‘i” in “Valentina” appears as a bullet, above the slogan: “Powered by Jesus Christ.”
The backlash to Gomez’s hate campaign was swift, with the Anti-Defamation League denouncing it on Tuesday (August 27).
“This campaign ad from GOP candidate Valentina Gomez is fueled by hate and anti-Muslim bigotry. Burning a sacred religious text like the Quran can incite violence and put people in danger. This needs to be condemned by all good people of conscience,” the antisemitism watchdog said in a statement, as per Times of Israel.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“This isn’t politics. It’s incitement,” podcaster Brian Allen wrote on X. “When the mosques start burning, remember: this was the match and the Texas GOP handed her the lighter.”
One X user wrote: “Get out of my state. We have no place for intolerance and hateful people who don’t believe in basic human rights such as THE FIRST AMENDMENT which allows for freedom of religion. Why don’t you learn the basics before running for office.”
Laura Loomer, a far-right conspiracy theorist and close ally of United States President Donald Trump, came out in support of Gomez’s anti-Islamic ad, calling it “the type of energy I want to see all GOP members of Congress have.” Loomer is herself known for her anti-Muslim rhetoric.
Who is Valentina Gomez?
Valentina Gomez is an immigrant who was born in Colombia. She moved to the US as a child with her family.
Gomez is challenging fellow Republican Representative John Carter to represent Texas’s 31st Congressional District in the US House of Representatives in 2026.
The self-described “America First-Maga” Republican, who is a vocal supporter of Trump, is notorious for her violent stunts and hateful remarks.
She has a history of making incendiary comments against Muslims, the LGBTQ+ community, Black people, and immigrants.
Gomez first gained the spotlight in the US last February when she scorched LGBTQ-inclusive books with a flamethrower, vowing to ban such books if she were elected Missouri’s secretary of state.
In the video, she said, “these books come from a Missouri public library; when I’m in office they will burn.”
The torched books included Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens, a title aimed at teenagers.
In May that year, while addressing voters in a video posted on X, she said: “In America, you can be anything you want, so don’t be weak and gay.”
Gomez lost her bid to become Missouri’s Republican candidate for secretary of state, finishing in sixth place, with 7.4 per cent of the vote.
President Trump is pulling a @nayibbukele in Washington DC.
— Valentina Gomez (@ValentinaForUSA) August 21, 2025
Democrats tried to put me in prison for “violating” the Hatch Act.
Now, we’re locking up those criminals & freeing the toothpaste. pic.twitter.com/J57B5enBUT
In December, she posted a video carrying out a mock execution by shooting a dummy tied to a chair with a black bag over its head. “It’s that simple, public executions for any illegal that rapes or kills an American. They don’t deserve deportation; they deserve to be ended,” she said.
The video was condemned by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who posted: “She is not just an American fascist. She is Colombian. And being a migrant, what she wants is to unleash hatred against migrants. Most Americans are killed by Americans.”
Gomez has also praised China’s alleged anti-Muslim policies. Beijing has been accused of committing crimes against humanity and possibly genocide against the Uyghur population in the north-western region of Xinjiang. China denies the allegations of human rights abuses.
Gomez once asked Black Americans to “kindly” leave the US if they “don’t like” the country.
Her hateful campaign also affected the political career of her brother, Jonathan Gomez, who made multiple donations to his sister’s campaign, as per NBC News. After the donations came to light, he was sacked as an aide to Mayor Steven Fulop of Jersey City, New Jersey.
In a post directed at Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, Gomez said that Muslims should be “abolished.”
With inputs from agencies
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