Students at the University of Texas at Austin are pushing back against a Republican candidate's social media post they describe as "blatantly racist." The post, shared over the weekend by Bo French, the GOP nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner, featured a photo of a group of UT graduates, mostly South Asian, with a caption claiming the scene at commencement was proof that the "problem" is "far worse than anyone imagined."
Two students identified in the image, Dhairya Gupta and Rahul Kodali, told The Dallas Morning News that they were both U.S. citizens. Gupta moved to the U.S. at age five and became a citizen as a child; Kodali was born in New York before his family relocated to the Dallas area. "Whether or not we are immigrants, that doesn't change anything," Kodali said. "I've been an American my entire life."
Gupta said he was initially "having some enjoyment" at the game when the photo was taken, but the aftermath has turned sour. "Now it's just people being blatantly racist toward us," he said. He added that he finds it alarming that candidates feel emboldened to make such remarks. "They have people voting for them, and they're not scared to say this kind of thing," Gupta said. "It's becoming to the point where this kind of racism just isn't looked down upon as much as it used to be — or it feels like that."
The backlash has been swift, with several prominent Texas Republicans distancing themselves from French. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) took to social media to ask whether other GOP officials will "condemn the intolerance and racism, or look the other way while it becomes normalized. This is how great political parties self-destruct. Sad." Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) also voiced criticism.
State Rep. Lacey Hull (R) urged French to remove the post, writing on X: "This post breaks my heart. I see college kids cheering on their football team. I see Texans." Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R) echoed that call, saying French can oppose immigration policies "without demeaning people because of their race or ethnicity — this post has crossed the line."
Despite the widespread condemnation, Texas GOP leaders have rebuked the nominee, but French has not apologized. Instead, he has leveraged the controversy for fundraising, claiming on Monday that "the radical left and their allies are attacking me." This strategy mirrors a broader trend in GOP politics, where some candidates use backlash to energize their base, as seen in Trump's endorsement of Paxton in the Texas Senate race at the GOP midterm convention.
The incident has also sparked a wider debate about the tone of political discourse in Texas, especially as key Senate and House Republicans skipped the Dallas midterm convention, signaling internal divisions. Some observers note that while French's post has been widely criticized, it also reflects a growing willingness among some politicians to use racial imagery for political gain, a move that could have implications for upcoming debates in the Texas Senate race.
As the story continues to develop, UT students and alumni are calling for accountability, while French's campaign shows no signs of backing down. The episode underscores the challenges Republican leaders face in balancing immigration rhetoric with inclusive messaging, a tension that is likely to persist as the 2026 midterms approach.
