Two UT Austin seniors photographed at a Longhorns game — Dhairya Gupta and Rahul Kodali — say a tweet by GOP nominee Bo French that highlighted their image was "blatantly racist." Both students told reporters they are U.S. citizens and described the photo as an "innocent moment" at the game. French reposted the image and claimed Americans are being "displaced by foreigners," drawing condemnation from alumni, commentators and some Republicans, including Karl Rove. The incident has sparked a broader debate about political rhetoric and inclusion in Texas.
UT Students Push Back After GOP Nominee's 'Blatantly Racist' Tweet: "I've Been an American My Entire Life"
Kirby Lee via AP
Two University of Texas at Austin seniors photographed at a Longhorns football game have pushed back against a campaign tweet they say singled them out on the basis of race and national origin.
Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner, posted a photograph of students in the stands and 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." The post drew swift condemnation and was widely labeled "blatantly racist."
Public Backlash And Political Reactions
French's tweet prompted strong criticism from University of Texas alumni, political commentators and elected officials, including a number of Republicans. Veteran GOP strategist Karl Rove called French a "bigot" and said he would vote for a Democrat for the first time in 30 years, according to The Texas Tribune.
Other prominent Republicans, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, issued broader statements condemning racism without naming French directly. Paxton's statement also attacked his opponent, state Rep. James Talarico.
French Doubles Down
Rather than deleting the post after the backlash, French reposted the image and asserted that Americans were being "displaced by foreigners," saying the situation was "far worse than any of us could imagine."
The Students Speak
Aarón Torres of The Dallas Morning News interviewed two students who appear in the photo: Dhairya Gupta (bottom right, wearing a backwards white cap and flashing the Longhorns "Hook 'em" sign) and Rahul Kodali (to his right, in a lighter orange polo and cowboy hat). Both are seniors majoring in computer science and told reporters they are U.S. citizens.
Dhairya Gupta: "I'm an American — I moved from India when I was about five and became a citizen in my childhood. This was just us having some enjoyment. Now it's just people being blatantly racist toward us."
Rahul Kodali: "I was born in Syracuse, New York. Whether or not we are immigrants, that doesn't change anything. I've been an American my entire life."
Kodali graduated from Flower Mound High School in the Dallas–Fort Worth area and attends UT as an in-state student. Both men described the photograph as capturing an "innocent moment at a football game" and expressed concern that rhetoric like French's is becoming more acceptable in public life.
Why It Matters
Observers said the episode matters not only because it targeted individual students but because it reflects larger debates about race, immigration and political rhetoric ahead of statewide elections. Critics argue that public figures running for office have a responsibility to avoid language that marginalizes groups of people; supporters of French framed his comments as concern about cultural change.
Gupta and Kodali said they do not intend to be intimidated and emphasized unity: "We have different skin tones, we might speak different languages, but at the end of the day, all of us are still going to the same university — we're still standing behind the same team," Gupta said.
Reporting referenced: The Texas Tribune and The Dallas Morning News (Aarón Torres).
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