Key facts
- Bo French, GOP nominee for Texas Railroad Commission, doubled down on a xenophobic post.
- French's post disparaged Asian American students at the University of Texas.
- Senator John Cornyn called the post intolerant and racist.
- Governor Greg Abbott rejected the candidate's message and defended Texas' immigration policies.
- State Representative Lacey Hull urged the candidate to remove the post.
- State Representative Jared Patterson called the post racist and demeaning.
Texas Republicans have publicly denounced a statewide GOP candidate, Bo French, over a post widely criticized as xenophobic and racist. French, the GOP nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission, doubled down on his comments on Monday, calling the criticism an attack from "the radical left and their allies." His post, which disparaged Asian American students at the University of Texas, had garnered over 35 million views on X.
Senator John Cornyn took to X to question whether other Republican officials would condemn the intolerance or allow it to become normalized, stating, "This is how great political parties self-destruct. Sad."
Texas Governor Greg Abbott also rejected the candidate's message. In a statement, Abbott said a selective picture of Longhorn fans celebrating a victory actually showed how Texans unite, adding, "That is not my message." He emphasized that unity "doesn’t mean that Texas cannot also lead in having the toughest immigration laws of any state in America and freezing H1B visas at our universities."
Several members of the Texas House also joined the backlash. State Representative Lacey Hull expressed heartbreak over the post and stated she saw "college kids cheering on their football team. I see Texans." State Representative Jared Patterson described the post as "racist" and said it demeaned students based on their race or ethnicity.