Key facts
- Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner, posted a photo of University of Texas football fans, many of them people of color, on X.
- French wrote in his post, “The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined.”
- French's post drew criticism from fellow Republicans, including Senator John Cornyn and House Speaker Dustin Burrows.
- French stated his post was a criticism of admissions and hiring policies at UT that he said discriminated against Texas residents.
- French has a history of making controversial statements, including advocating for deporting 100 million people and suggesting Republicans should fear Islam.
Texas Republicans are concerned that xenophobic social media posts by Bo French, the GOP nominee for Railroad Commissioner, could harm the party's electoral prospects in a state where they have long dominated. French posted a photo of University of Texas football fans, many of them people of color, on X, writing, “The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined.” The comments, which appeared to target South Asian students, sent Lone Star Republicans into a frenzy, worried about the impact the rhetoric could have on GOP candidates up and down the ballot, including Attorney General Ken Paxton’s high-profile Senate race and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s reelection fight.
French doubled down on his post, which had received more than 35 million views as of Monday afternoon, calling the criticism he has received an attack from “the radical left and their allies.” He also stood by his post in an appearance on the conservative radio broadcast “The Mark Davis Show” on Monday, stating, “It’s not racist to point out that we should be favoring Texans over foreigners.” French claimed his post was a criticism of admissions and hiring policies at UT that he said discriminated against Texas residents, despite the fact that most of UT’s student body is made up of Texans and state law prioritizes admitting Texans.
The post drew swift rebukes from Democrats and some Texas Republicans, including outgoing Sen. John Cornyn, who called on other Republican officials to “condemn the intolerance and racism,” as well as several state lawmakers. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows called the post “demeaning,” while his predecessor, Dade Phelan, called French “unfit for office.” Governor Greg Abbott attempted to distance himself from French’s comments, stating that a picture of Longhorn fans celebrating shows how Texans unite, but also that Texas can lead in having the toughest immigration laws. French also took a shot at Cornyn and other Republicans who condemned him, suggesting many were from the establishment wing of the party that opposed him in the GOP primary.