A far-right Republican candidate for the US Congress has provoked widespread condemnation after posting a video in which she sets fire to a Quran with a flamethrower. Valentina Gomez, who is running for Texas’s 31st Congressional District in the 2026 midterms, shared the footage on X as part of a vow to “end Islam” in the state.
In the video, Gomez says: “Your daughters will be raped and your sons beheaded, unless we stop Islam once and for all,” before burning the holy book. She adds: “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 ends with her declaring she is “powered by Jesus Christ.”
Gomez has a history of posting violent stunts and using hateful rhetoric targeting Muslims, the LGBT+ community, Black people, and immigrants. In December 2024, she filmed a mock execution of an immigrant, shooting a dummy tied to a chair with a black bag over its head. Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned her, noting that she was born in Colombia yet seeks to incite hatred against migrants.
Earlier, in February 2024, while campaigning for Missouri secretary of state, Gomez used a flamethrower to burn a pile of LGBTQ+ books. She also told Black Americans to “kindly” leave the US if they “don’t like” the country, and in a May 2024 video she jogged through a pro-LGBT+ area wearing a bulletproof vest, saying: “Don’t be weak and gay.” She finished sixth in the Missouri Republican primary.
Critics have accused Gomez of inciting violence. Podcaster Brian Allen wrote on X: “This isn’t politics. It’s incitement. When the mosques start burning, remember: this was the match and the Texas GOP handed her the lighter.” Other X users called for her to be banned from the platform and condemned her intolerance.
