Conservative critics attack Paul Ryan with references to his 'Muslim beard'

House Speaker Paul Ryan
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Not everyone is thrilled about Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan working with Democrats on a trillion-dollar package of spending and tax cuts. And, as The Hill points out, some critics have taken it pretty far, questioning if Ryan's facial hair isn't actually a clue to his motivations.

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"Twitter is littered with references to the Wisconsin Republican's new 'Muslim beard,'" The Hill writes, and indeed:

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Now The End Begins, a website that describes itself as being "unashamedly Conservative in our thinking" but not "anti-Arab," wrote that "Paul Ryan is 100 percent in line with Obama's liberal agenda, he is 100 percent against Donald Trump, and he has just authorized billions to be spent to bring more Muslim migrants into the United States. And, oh yeah, he suddenly has a full beard."

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However, one commenter using the name Raymond Andrews wasn't so sure about that logic, replying to the article by asking, "Do you think everyone with a beard is either a Jew or a Muslim? I graduated last December from Louisiana State University. One of the degrees I received was in Forestry. Every male in my Forestry major had a very full beard."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.