Republican Candidate Bo French Faces Backlash Over Remarks Targeting Indian, South Asian Students

Republican Party leader Bo French, who is contesting for the Texas Railroad Commission, has come under fire over controversial social media posts targeting Indian and South Asian students in the United States. French shared a photograph of University of Texas students celebrating during a football game and claimed that the image showed how foreigners were taking the place of Americans. He also suggested that the impact of foreigners on Americans was much greater than he had initially expected. The remarks sparked criticism for allegedly promoting an anti-immigrant and discriminatory narrative.

Another claim made by French about the same photograph also drew attention. He described the image as being from a university graduation event, but it was later identified as a photograph taken during a football game. His comments were condemned not only by Democratic leaders but also by members of his own Republican Party. Senator John Cornyn strongly criticized the remarks, calling them outright racist. Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi also condemned French's comments and stressed the need to stand against discrimination targeting Indian Americans. The controversy has now triggered a wider debate within the Republican Party.