Bo French, the Republican nominee campaigning for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, has ignited fierce internal division and drawn sharp condemnation from prominent party leaders following a series of xenophobic social media posts targeting South Asian students who attended a recent college football game in Austin.
The controversy originated around an electric sporting matchup at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. During the Saturday night game, the Texas Longhorns secured an exciting comeback victory against the nation’s top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, sparking widespread celebrations across the stands as fans cheered the thrilling conclusion to the major contest.
Watching the collegiate game from his television screen, French took issue with the demographic appearance of the celebrating crowd. Early Sunday morning, the former Tarrant County Republican Party chairman took to social media to broadcast his displeasure regarding the spectators captured on camera.
French shared an image depicting a group of students in the stadium stands joyfully cheering either late in the fourth quarter or immediately after the final whistle had blown. The photograph prominently featured numerous students who appeared to be of South Asian heritage, an observation that prompted French to post critical commentary about the university's student body.
Accompanying the crowd photograph, French wrote that he had previously heard reports claiming that this year’s University of Texas graduation looked like the scene depicted in the image. French noted that while he had initially doubted those accounts, he now believed the perceived issue had escalated into something far worse than anyone had envisioned.
Engaging with users in the comments section under his post, the statewide candidate further asserted that students of South Asian descent were receiving improper preference in higher education. French claimed that university admissions departments were actively prioritizing individuals he described as foreigners over local Texas residents.
Approximately one hour after his initial statements, French doubled down on his rhetoric by sharing the exact same photograph in an additional post. In this second message, the Republican nominee drew a direct comparison between online platforms and law enforcement surveillance equipment.
French asserted that just as police body cameras are utilized to expose criminals, social media platforms are currently serving to reveal how many American citizens have supposedly been displaced by foreign individuals. He reiterated to his followers that this situation is prevalent everywhere and represents a scenario far worse than anyone could imagine.
Sunday morning’s controversial posts are not the first time French has faced scrutiny for promoting anti-immigrant and anti-Indian views. In March, the former county party leader sparked substantial outrage when he publicly described Islam as a threat that would infiltrate and conquer the state of Texas, accompanied by calls for the deportation of American Muslims.
Those prior comments regarding the Muslim community drew condemnation from several members of the Texas Republican Party. However, his latest statements targeting university students quickly elicited direct and forceful rebukes from some of the highest-ranking figures in Texas politics.
Outgoing United States Senator John Cornyn was among the most prominent Republicans to forcefully denounce the Railroad Commission nominee. Taking to the social media platform X on Sunday, Cornyn shared French’s statements and issued a stark warning regarding the trajectory and moral standards of the political party.
Highlighting French's position as the Republican nominee for statewide office, Cornyn asked whether other elected Republican officials would speak out to condemn the intolerance and racism or simply look the other way as such behavior becomes normalized. Cornyn emphasized that allowing such rhetoric to take root is precisely how great political organizations self-destruct, concluding his public rebuke by calling the situation sad.
Pressure on the statewide nominee mounted quickly within the state legislature as well. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows publicly demanded that French delete his offensive social media post, a call for removal that was swiftly backed by state Representatives Jeff Leach and Lacey Hull.
Rather than retracting his statements or expressing regret in response to the widespread pushback from senior lawmakers, French remained combative. Shortly after Cornyn’s public criticism appeared online, the nominee posted a defiant rebuttal on X aimed squarely at the veteran senator.
In his online response, French accused Cornyn and other critics of being RINOs—Republicans in Name Only—alleging that state institutions have been overtaken by unauthorized immigrants and foreign nationals because established politicians favored them over American citizens. Concluding his counterattack, French dismissed his intraparty critics as America Last losers who are angry that Texas Republicans have begun prioritizing an America First agenda.
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