GOP Condemns Racist Post
Texas Republican Leaders Condemn Nominee Bo French Over Racist Social Media Post
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Key Points
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UT Austin requires at least 90% of its freshmen to be Texas residents, while international students make up roughly 4% of recent freshman classes and compete for a limited share of nonresident places.
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French has previously called for the deportation of 100 million Americans, a proposal that would include U.S. citizens, and has campaigned on promises to “stop the Islamic invasion of Texas” and end DEI programs in the state’s oil industry.
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French’s post also characterized Texas institutions as having been “overrun by illegal aliens and foreign nationals,” extending his criticism beyond the students shown in the image.
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French responded to the backlash by attacking Cornyn as a “Republican in name only” and accusing him of siding with foreign nationals over Americans rather than deleting or retracting the post.
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The controversy followed earlier warnings from Abbott, who said in May that French would “wreck” Texas’ oil and gas industry if elected; other state leaders, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, have also previously urged French to resign from a political role.
Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner, drew swift condemnation from party leaders after posting a photo of South Asian University of Texas students celebrating a football win and suggesting their presence showed Americans had been "displaced by foreigners." Texas Republican Leaders called the remarks racist and intolerant, with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn warning that normalizing such rhetoric could damage the party's broader coalition.
French refused to retract the post and instead attacked his critics, including Cornyn, whom he called a "Republican in name only." The controversy highlights tension within Texas Republicans between mobilizing voters around strict immigration policies and preserving appeal among Asian American voters, students, and business-oriented constituencies.
A Post That Went Beyond Policy Debate
French's post attributed foreignness to visibly Asian students and portrayed their presence as evidence of national displacement. This shifted the discussion from immigration policy disagreement to racialized exclusion. Fox 4 News reported that Gov. Greg Abbott, House Speaker Dustin Burrows, and several state representatives criticized French for crossing that line.
Cornyn said the post was intolerant and racist, urging Republican leaders to reject the normalization of such views. Democratic lawmakers and French's general-election opponent, Jon Rosenthal, also denounced the post. The backlash showed party leaders wanted to distinguish opposition to immigration from demeaning people based on race or ethnicity.
What French's Record Shows About His Views
French has a documented history of extreme anti-immigration rhetoric. He previously called for the deportation of 100 million Americans—a proposal that would include U.S. citizens. He has campaigned on promises to "stop the Islamic invasion of Texas" and end diversity programs in the state's oil industry.
French extended his criticism beyond the students shown in the photo, characterizing Texas institutions as having been "overrun by illegal aliens and foreign nationals." Fox 7 Austin noted that Abbott had previously warned French would "wreck" Texas' oil and gas industry if elected, and other state leaders, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, have urged him to resign from political roles.
The Facts Behind the Demographic Claims
French's post relied on a false premise about University of Texas enrollment. Texas law requires at least 90% of UT Austin freshmen to be Texas residents. International students make up roughly 4% of recent freshman classes and compete only for a limited share of nonresident spots.
This means the demographic inference in French's post is inconsistent with the university's actual admissions structure. The university's admissions policies protect the majority of spots for Texans, making the claim of displacement factually unsupported by how UT Austin admits students.
Abbott's Careful Balance on Immigration and Race
Gov. Abbott rejected the racial interpretation of French's post, saying the image actually represented Texans uniting around college football. However, Abbott maintained his support for restrictive immigration policies and ongoing restrictions on H-1B visas for foreign workers. His response illustrates the balancing act Texas Republican leaders face.
The backlash reflects a broader tension within the party: how to mobilize voters around strict immigration positions while preserving appeal among immigrants, Asian Americans, students, and business-oriented voters. French's refusal to apologize and his attacks on Cornyn have intensified scrutiny of whether such divisive rhetoric can coexist with that coalition.
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