Bo French Defends Tweet

What happened

What changed today: Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas railroad commissioner, stood by posts targeting University of Texas students of South Asian descent. He had shared their football-celebration image and wrote that “the problem” was worse than imagined, then claimed foreign students and admissions practices favoring students of color were displacing white or American-born students. Republicans including outgoing Sen. John Cornyn criticized him. Ken Paxton declined direct condemnation. Karl Rove reportedly called French a “bigot” and backed Democrat Jon Rosenthal, drawing a Trump attack. The commission regulates Texas oil and gas.

How each side covered it

From the left

Left-leaning coverage framed the posts as racist and a test of GOP tolerance for prejudice. The New York Times said many Texas Republicans condemned the post, while others only distanced themselves. CNN said French showed brown-skinned students at a University of Texas football game and noted denunciations by John Cornyn and other Republicans. The Atlantic said there was no basis to assume the students were foreigners.

From the right

Right-leaning coverage split between concern over the post and anger at Karl Rove. Western Journal said French, the GOP railroad commissioner candidate, used Texas-Ohio State crowd images to argue foreign students displaced Americans, and faced criticism from Republicans including John Cornyn and Dan Crenshaw. RedState cast Rove as a Washington establishment Republican in name only and said he preferred Democrat Jon Rosenthal over French.

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Bo French Defends Tweet

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What happened

How each side covered it

From the left

From the right

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