A sharp internal conflict has erupted within the Texas Republican Party following racially charged social media comments by Bo French, the GOP candidate for the state’s Railroad Commission. United States Senator John Cornyn joined several state legislative leaders in publicly rebuking French after he shared a photograph of non-white students at a University of Texas football game and claimed it demonstrated that state institutions were being overrun.
The controversy began on Sunday when French, the former chair of the Tarrant County Republican Party, shared an image on the social media platform X depicting students of color cheering at a Texas Longhorns game in Austin. In his commentary accompanying the picture, French characterized the presence of the minority students as evidence that higher education institutions across the state are being dominated by foreign nationals and undocumented immigrants.
French further elaborated in his post that he had previously heard similar descriptions regarding this year's University of Texas commencement ceremonies. He noted that while he initially doubted those accounts, he now believed the demographic shifts across campus institutions represented a problem far more severe than anyone had previously anticipated.
The remarks drew swift and severe condemnation from senior figures within the state’s Republican leadership. Cornyn was among the most prominent officials to speak out, forcefully challenging his fellow party members to stand against French’s rhetoric. The senator warned that accommodating or ignoring such rhetoric jeopardizes the broader political standing and moral credibility of the Republican Party.
Cornyn, who is preparing to conclude his 23-year career in the U.S. Senate following a primary defeat to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, emphasized that French is not an outsider but an official nominee for statewide office. He posed a direct challenge to other elected Republicans, questioning whether they would actively reject the intolerance or simply look the other way while racial prejudice becomes normalized.
The veteran senator concluded his rebuke with a grave historical observation, stating that turning a blind eye to explicit racism and intolerance is precisely the mechanism by which great political parties self-destruct.
State-level leaders in the Texas Capitol also mobilized to denounce French’s post. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows publicly demanded that the Railroad Commission nominee remove the message immediately. Burrows argued that it is entirely possible to advocate for robust immigration enforcement without resorting to demean individuals on the basis of their racial or ethnic backgrounds, asserting that French's statement had clearly crossed an unacceptable line.
Allies of the House Speaker quickly reinforced the call for French to retract the statement. Representative Lacey Hull of Houston and Representative Jeff Leach of Plano both pushed for the post to be taken down. Hull expressed deep personal distress over French’s characterization, describing the post as heartbreaking.
In her response, Hull emphasized that the individuals depicted in the stadium were simply young college students supporting their athletic team. She stressed that rather than viewing these minority students as outsiders or threats, they should be recognized fundamentally as fellow Texans participating in collegiate life.
Despite the growing wave of criticism from prominent establishment Republicans, French refused to apologize or delete the post. Instead, the statewide nominee doubled down on his initial assertions, launching a direct counterattack against Cornyn and other critics whom he dismissed as "Republicans in Name Only" (RINOs).
French accused Cornyn and moderate party figures of actively working against the interests of American citizens by defending non-white populations in Texas institutions. He claimed that these leaders had historically prioritized foreign individuals over native citizens and labeled his detractors as "America Last losers" who were uncomfortable with the party adopting an unapologetic "America First" agenda.
The public feud also exposed continuing divisions within the grassroots wing of the party, as some newly nominated Republican candidates moved to defend French. State Representative Andy Hopper, who recently secured the GOP primary nomination for Texas' 64th Congressional District, offered public support for French and dismissed Cornyn's criticisms, labeling the outgoing senator a "smug globalist."
This latest dispute adds to a documented history of inflammatory rhetoric and hardline stances that have defined French’s political trajectory. As the former head of the Tarrant County GOP, French has consistently faced widespread scrutiny for extreme policy proposals, including a prior call demanding the deportation of 100 million people from the United States.
French’s campaign for the Railroad Commission has similarly relied on aggressive, polarizing themes. Throughout his bid for the energy-regulating board, he has routinely incorporated anti-Islamic rhetoric into his messaging, promising voters that he would halt what he termed the Islamic invasion of Texas while also pledging to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the state's critical oil and gas sector.
His unconventional candidacy and volatile rhetoric have previously alienated key Republican figures in Texas, including Governor Greg Abbott. Earlier in May, Abbott issued an unusually direct warning against French, stating publicly that French lacked the necessary approach to oversee the energy sector and predicting that his leadership would wreck the state’s oil and gas industry.
Neither Cornyn nor French provided additional responses or agreed to interviews before publication. The ongoing confrontation highlights deep and unresolved ideological rifts between long-serving establishment figures and populist nominees as the Texas GOP prepares for the upcoming general election.
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