Who is Valentina Gomez? Republican candidate sparks outrage burning the Qur’an
Valentina Gomez ignites Qur’an with flamethrower in controversial video. Credit: X/ValentinaforUSA
A shocking act of hate propelled Valentina Gomez, a Republican congressional candidate in Texas, into the global spotlight. In a disturbing video shared on social media, Gomez uses a flamethrower to burn a copy of the Qur’an, solemnly declaring her intention to “end Islam in Texas.” The incendiary stunt has drawn fierce backlash from religious groups, political leaders, and civil rights advocates.
The Qur’an-burning episode is not an isolated incident in Gomez’s campaign. In December 2024, she released a video staging the mock execution of an immigrant, calling for “public executions” instead of deportations, an act widely condemned as incitement to violence. Earlier this year, she targeted LGBTQ+ themes by burning queer-inclusive books with a flamethrower, reinforcing her extremist, “America First–MAGA” platform.
Who Is Valentina Gomez?
Born in Medellín, Colombia in May 1999, Gomez immigrated to the United States with her family in 2009 and later studied at Central Connecticut State University before entering the Republican primary in Missouri in 2024. There, she launched her political journey with sensationalist campaign tactics and extremist messaging.
Now at age 26, Gomez is running for the U.S. House seat in Texas’s 31st District, aiming to unseat established Republicans with her incendiary rhetoric and provocative stunts.
The Video That Ignited Outrage
In the video circulating online, Gomez wields a flamethrower, sets fire to a Qur’an, and proclaims, “I will end Islam in Texas so help me God.” Her speech is laced with hateful threats against Muslims, framing America as a Christian nation and urging “terrorist Muslims” to leave.
This act of religious desecration and overt hate speech has triggered widespread condemnation, with critics labeling it beyond politics, an incitement to hatred.
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Widespread Condemnation and Implications
The widely shared video has drawn denunciations from Muslim advocacy groups, political leaders, and social media users. Many stress the dangers such rhetoric poses to religious freedom and communal harmony.
Analysts warn that acts like this undermine democratic norms and inflame tensions in an already polarized political climate. Gomez’s evolving campaign, rooted in extremism, raises concerns about the limits of political speech and hate rhetoric.
What’s Next for Gomez, and for Political Discourse?
With her campaign built on shock value rather than policy, Gomez may be seeking media notoriety over serious policymaking. Monitoring how political institutions and platforms respond, through policy, regulation, or accountability, will be key.
Her candidacy also tests the boundaries of free speech in political campaigns, and whether there will be consequences for language that crosses into violent bigotry.
