- Valentina Gomez burned a Quran with a flamethrower in a viral video to end Islam in Texas
- She urged Muslims to leave Texas, citing 57 Muslim nations as alternatives
- Gomez blamed the Quran for the October 7 attacks in Israel and showed no regret
Valentina Gomez, a Republican candidate vying for Texas' 31st Congressional District, has drawn widespread condemnation after posting a video in which she burned a copy of the Quran using a flamethrower. The footage, which went viral on social media, led to a ban on most platforms, barring X.
In the video, Gomez stated that her objective was to "end Islam in Texas." She further urged Muslims to leave the state, saying, "Muslims can f*** off to any of the 57 Muslim nations."
The woman, a self-proclaimed supporter of US President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) campaign, accused the community of threatening Christian nations with violence and encouraged viewers to assist her in achieving this goal. She later defended her actions, stating she did not regret burning the Quran and attributing blame to the religious text for the October 7 attacks in Israel.
Who Is Valentina Gomez?
Valentina Gomez was born on May 8, 1999, in Medellin, Colombia. She and her family relocated to the US in 2009. Before entering politics, Gomez gained recognition as a real estate investor and held roles in the financial sector, including a position focused on financial and strategic optimisation at Nestlé.
Her political profile, however, has been marked by repeated controversies. According to The Independent, Gomez has a history of staging violent stunts and using inflammatory rhetoric against Muslims, the LGBT+ community, Black Americans and immigrants. These actions appear to be aimed at gaining notoriety amid what otherwise looks like a faltering political career.
In December 2024, Gomez released a video depicting a mock execution of an immigrant, shooting a dummy tied to a chair with a black bag over its head. She told The Independent at the time, "It's that simple, public executions for any illegal that rapes or kills an American. They don't deserve deportation; they deserve to be ended."
Valentina Gomez has also targeted Black Americans, telling them to "kindly" leave the country if they "don't like" it, referring to Juneteenth, the holiday marking the end of slavery, as "the most ratchet" of holidays. Her record of homophobia includes a February 2024 stunt in which she used a flamethrower to burn a pile of LGBTQ+ books.
Gomez launched her political career in 2024 with a campaign for Missouri Secretary of State. She came in sixth, receiving just 7.4 per cent of the vote, according to NBC News. Despite multiple election losses and recurring bans from social media for hate speech, she continues to cultivate a reputation as a polarising far-right figure.
