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On September 13, 2026, Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commission, posted a photo of University of Texas students of South Asian descent celebrating a Longhorns football victory, and called them “a problem.” Republicans across Texas condemned it within hours. This page collects what he posted, what he said afterward, and who responded, with a link to the original source for every claim.
The morning after the Texas Longhorns beat Ohio State, French shared a photo of UT students of South Asian descent cheering in burnt orange.
He wrote:
“I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn't believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined.”
Commenters pointed out he was labeling the students “foreigners” with no information about their status, based only on the color of their skin. In fact, about 26% of UT undergraduates are Asian American, and one student in the photo, interviewed afterward, is a naturalized U.S. citizen.
Rather than walk it back, French defended the post on a conservative radio show the next day and framed it as being about “foreigners” displacing Americans. He dismissed the Republicans criticizing him as “less-conservative people.”
The strongest reaction came from Republicans.
U.S. Senator John Cornyn wrote:
“This is the Republican nominee for statewide office. Are other Republican elected officials going to condemn the intolerance and racism, or look the other way while it becomes normalized. This is how great political parties self-destruct. Sad.”
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows told him directly:
“You can oppose immigration policy without demeaning people because of their race or ethnicity — this post has crossed the line. Delete it.”
One of the students in the photo, asked about it, said simply: “When I look at that picture, I don't see a problem.” Students at UT said they were dismayed but not surprised by the attack.
The Railroad Commission regulates Texas oil and gas, an industry that employs Texans of every background. French is asking voters for statewide power while publicly calling American students “a problem” because of how they look. This is not a one-time slip. It is the latest in a documented pattern his own party has repeatedly condemned.
On September 13, 2026, he shared a photo of South Asian UT students celebrating a football win and wrote that “the problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined,” implying they did not belong.
No. He defended the post the next day on a conservative radio show and dismissed his Republican critics as “less-conservative people.”
Republicans, including U.S. Senator John Cornyn and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, publicly condemned the post as racist and called on him to delete it.
The Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas. Election Day is November 3, 2026.