Colorado Democratic state Sen. Iman Jodeh has come under fire over a now-deleted legislative internship posting that included Muslim identity and certain ethnic or regional backgrounds among the qualifications for applicants. The controversy drew sharp criticism from the Fox News "Outnumbered" panel, whose members questioned whether the requirements constituted religious discrimination and called on the Department of Justice to investigate.
The posting for the Muslim Joint Legislative Caucus Intern Program sought applicants who identified as Muslim and/or belonged to specified regional or ethnic groups, including Middle Eastern and North African backgrounds, and who had an interest in social change and public policy.
During the Fox News discussion, the program's hosts contrasted the requirements with those typically found in internship applications.
"A standard job application may ask for a resume, your GPA, maybe a referral. However, Colorado Democrat State Senator Iman Jodeh lists identifying as a Muslim as a qualification to work in her office," the host said.
The panel also pointed to a previous internship advertisement published by Jodeh's office in 2023, when she served as a state representative. That posting specifically encouraged Arab and Muslim applicants to seek legislative experience.
"If you identify as an Arab and/or Muslim and meet the qualifications below, please apply to get firsthand policy and legislative experience at the Capitol and Representative Jodeh's office," the earlier advertisement stated.
The Fox News host cited the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex and national origin, and questioned whether the internship criteria were consistent with those protections.
The discussion also referenced criticism published by The Daily Wire, which argued that an internship restricted to white or Christian applicants would provoke a far stronger national reaction.
"Imagine a state senator posting an internship ad, but the requirements are that the applicants must identify as Christian or white," the publication argued, adding that such a controversy would quickly attract national attention and potential legal challenges.
Fox News said it had contacted Jodeh's office for comment but had not received a response at the time of the broadcast.
"If This Were Any Other Religion, There Would Be a National Outcry"
Fox News commentator Tomi Lahren argued that the reaction would be dramatically different if the same religious qualifications were imposed by a politician seeking Christian or Jewish applicants.
"If this were any other religion, if you had to be a Christian or you had to be Jewish, there would be a national outcry," Lahren said. "That person would not only not be in office, but it would be an international calamity, I would assume."
Lahren also questioned why religious or ethnic identity should play such a prominent role in recruiting interns to a state legislative office.
She drew a comparison to political criticism surrounding Michigan candidate Abdul El-Sayed, referring to questions raised by Hayley Stevens about candidates focusing on Gaza, Israel and the Palestinian conflict while running to represent voters in Michigan.
"I would say much the same thing about this person who represents Colorado," Lahren continued. "Why do you need to have somebody go get legislative experience talking about their either Middle Eastern heritage or they must be Muslim? What do you want them to advocate for? What do you want them to learn in your office?"
Her criticism focused on the relationship between an elected official's responsibility to represent constituents and the qualifications used to select people for legislative positions.
Calls for a Justice Department Investigation
Former NFL player and political commentator Jake Bequette went further, urging federal authorities to examine the internship requirements and consider whether legal action was warranted.
"I really hope the Department of Justice looks into this and holds these people accountable," Bequette said, arguing that similar controversies involving Democrats have historically resulted in little more than temporary negative publicity.
"They might get a bad news cycle out of it, but they're not gonna face any lasting consequences," he added.
Bequette echoed Lahren's argument that the political consequences would be different if the internship advertisement favored white Christian men.
"If that ad said only white Christian males can apply, that person, the person who purveyed that ad, their life would be ruined," he argued.
He also accused the political left of benefiting from what he described as unequal accountability, suggesting that politically favored groups face fewer consequences for conduct that would be condemned if carried out by their opponents.
"Politics, sometimes, it's about rewarding your friends and punishing your enemies. The left understands that," he said.
Bequette concluded by calling on the Trump administration's Justice Department to intervene, warning that failing to address the controversy could encourage similar recruitment practices in the future.
"If the Trump DOJ doesn't get after this, it's just gonna create a precedent where this kind of activity can happen again and again with no ulterior consequences," he said.