RFK Jr. Faces Backlash After Claiming Arabs 'Don't Produce Science' as Critics Point to Nobel Winners
RFK Jr. has been criticized after he commented about Arab contributions to science and literature
Oct. 28 2026, Published 4:38 p.m. ET
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing widespread criticism after claiming Arabs do not produce science or literature and do not win major international prizes.
Kennedy made the remarks Oct. 26 at a Michigan campaign event for Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers.
The comments quickly drew condemnation from civil rights groups and prompted critics to point to multiple Arab and Arab-descended scholars who have received the very awards Kennedy cited.
Kennedy's Michigan Remarks Spark Firestorm
RFK Jr. claimed that there are 500 million Arabs in the world who do not produce science or literature
Kennedy was speaking in support of Rogers, who is challenging Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan's closely watched U.S. Senate race.
"There’s 500 million Arabs in the world, and yet they don't produce science, they don't win the Nobel Prize, they don't win the Fields prize, they don't win the Wolf Prize, they don't produce literature," Kennedy said, according to video and reporting on the event.
The statement is factually incorrect. Arab scientists and writers have won the Nobel Prize, Fields Medal and Wolf Prize, while Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz received the 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature.
The Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment cited in reporting on the remarks.
Civil Rights Groups Call Comments Racist
RFK Jr.'s comments were described as a display of racism and bigotry by the CAIR
The Council on American-Islamic Relations led the criticism, describing Kennedy's remarks as "a textbook display of unvarnished racism and bigotry."
CAIR said the comments erase Arab contributions to humanity and could contribute to anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hostility. The organization also called for Kennedy to be removed from office.
The distinction between Arab identity and Muslim identity has also become relevant to the controversy. Arabs are an ethnic and linguistic group, while Muslims are members of a religion, and the two categories are not interchangeable.
Nobel Winners Cited as Proof
Critics referred to Arab Nobel Prize winners while responding to JFK Jr.'s comments
Critics quickly identified examples that challenge Kennedy's claim.
Peter Hotez, a Baylor College of Medicine professor, pointed to Ahmed Zewail, the Egyptian-born scientist who won the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Zewail was the first Arab to win a Nobel Prize in a scientific field.
Chemist Omar Yaghi provides another recent example. The Jordanian-American UC Berkeley professor shared the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and also received the 2018 Wolf Prize in Chemistry.
Mahfouz won the 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature, while mathematician Michael Atiyah, who was of Lebanese and Scottish descent, received the Fields Medal.
Political Fallout in Senate Race
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
JFK Jr.'s comments have now brought a lot of attention to the mid-term elections
Kennedy's comments landed in the final stretch of a competitive Michigan Senate contest. Rogers and El-Sayed held their second and final debate Oct. 21 in Southfield, with the race drawing national attention ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
The controversy also comes after Republicans have repeatedly promoted unsubstantiated claims that El-Sayed has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
El-Sayed has denied any connection, and reporting has found no evidence that he has been affiliated with the organization.
