Rep. Andy Ogles Deletes Controversial Social Media Post and Attributes It to Staffer

Rep. Andy Ogles, a Republican from Tennessee, deleted a comment from his official congressional X account that stated, "Homosexuality has no place in America. Happy Nuclear Family Month," following backlash from both Democrats and some Republicans. Ogles attributed the post to a member of his communications team, stating that it was "stupid, hurtful and a complete distraction from my America First focus" and that the employee has been reprimanded. Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York condemned the post, calling it "idiotic" and emphasized that homosexuality is a reality in America. Lawler also mentioned he communicated his disapproval directly to Ogles. Senator Ted Cruz, also a Republican, expressed a more libertarian view on the matter, stating that the behavior of consenting adults is their own business. Democrats criticized Ogles as well, with Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts stating that "bigots like Andy Ogles have no place in America." This incident follows previous controversial remarks made by Ogles, including a statement earlier this year that "Muslims don’t belong in American society." Polling data indicates a decline in Republican support for same-sex marriage, with a Gallup poll showing that support dropped from 55% in 2021 to 37% in 2026.