U.S. Senator John Cornyn announced on Thursday that he will not support Bo French in his bid for Texas railroad commissioner, following controversial remarks made by French on social media. The comments, which labeled Asian students at the University of Texas as a “problem,” have drawn significant criticism from both sides of the political aisle.
Cornyn expressed his disappointment, stating, “He’s an embarrassment to the Republican Party, and he’s going to drag the whole ticket down because of his racist comments.” When asked if he would vote for French’s Democratic opponent, state Representative Jon Rosenthal, Cornyn indicated uncertainty, noting, “I may just leave it blank.”
This strong condemnation from Cornyn comes in the wake of mounting backlash against French, including from notable Republican figures such as Senator Ted Cruz and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows. Despite this criticism, French has continued to stand by his remarks.
Cornyn has been vocal about the issue on social media, sharing a Wall Street Journal op-ed by Karl Rove, a prominent GOP strategist, titled, “Why I’m Voting for a Texas Democrat.”
French’s controversial remarks originated from a post commenting on a social media video showcasing students celebrating a notable comeback by the Longhorns against Ohio State. He remarked on a screenshot primarily featuring students of South Asian descent, saying, “I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn’t believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined.”
In response to French’s comments, Cornyn called for other Republican leaders to denounce such intolerance, warning that failure to do so could lead to the self-destruction of the party.
This isn’t the first instance of French making racially charged comments. Earlier this year, at the Conservative Political Action Conference, he controversially suggested the deportation of 100 million individuals, nearly a third of the U.S. population. During his tenure as Tarrant County GOP chair, he faced backlash for using slurs online and for a poll that questioned whether Jews or Muslims posed a greater threat to America.
In another post following his initial comments, French claimed he was being attacked by the “radical left” and urged his supporters to contribute to his campaign. Cornyn responded by emphasizing the need for the Republican Party to distance itself from such bigotry, asserting, “We should all condemn this bigotry directed at our fellow Texans or we will soon find ourselves a minority party.”
After sharing Rove’s op-ed, Cornyn reiterated his stance, stating, “The GOP’s stables need a cleaning. This is a good place to start.”
