Key facts
- Texas Republicans denounced a statewide GOP candidate over a xenophobic post.
- Senator John Cornyn criticized the post, calling it intolerant and racist.
- Governor Greg Abbott rejected the candidate's message, stating Texans unite behind their college football team.
- Abbott defended Texas' immigration policies, stating the state has the toughest laws and is freezing H1B visas at universities.
- 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 over a post that was widely criticized as xenophobic and racist. Senator John Cornyn took to X, formerly Twitter, 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."