Karl Rove confirmed he will back Democrat Jon Rosenthal, saying Republican nominee Bo French’s viral post about University of Texas students was "raw, uncut bigotry." The Texas Tribune reported Rove called French a "bigot" at a private lunch; Rove then detailed his objections in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. He warned the GOP is attracting an increasing number of bigoted voices and called for the party’s ranks to be cleaned out. The controversy has renewed concerns about extremist influence and tolerance for hateful rhetoric within parts of the Texas GOP.
Karl Rove Says He’ll Vote For Democrat Jon Rosenthal, Warns GOP Of A 'Growing Number' Of Bigots
AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File
Former White House adviser Karl Rove has publicly confirmed he will cast his ballot for a Democrat for the first time in more than 30 years, saying he cannot support a Republican nominee he calls a bigot. Rove made the announcement in a Wall Street Journal op-ed after a Texas controversy over a viral social-media post by Republican candidate Bo French.
What Sparked the Controversy
The dispute began after the No. 4 University of Texas Longhorns rallied to beat the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes. Bo French posted a photo of the UT student section with a caption implying the crowd’s ethnic makeup was a problem: "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 widespread condemnation and had nearly 53 million views at the time of publication.
Local Texas outlets located several students in the photograph and reported they are U.S. citizens — unsurprising given that UT's merit-based admissions typically place more than 90% of each class from Texas. Still, French’s message was broadly denounced across the political spectrum.
Rove, The Reported Lunch, And The Op-Ed
The Texas Tribune reported that Rove privately called French a "bigot" at a lunch in Austin and said he planned to vote for French’s Democratic opponent, Jon Rosenthal. President Donald Trump publicly criticized Rove after the Tribune story, calling him a "stone cold loser" on Truth Social.
Rove confirmed the Tribune’s account in a Wall Street Journal column titled "Why I'm Voting for a Texas Democrat." He described French's post as "raw, uncut bigotry" and argued it reflected a broader pattern of offensive behavior on the right, citing additional examples of French’s comments targeting Asian Americans, Jews and Muslims.
"The GOP has a growing number of Bo Frenches—and not only in Texas... These people are diminishing the Republican Party, not building it. I'll have no part of it."
Wider Concerns About Extremism
Rove’s criticism tapped into larger debates about extremist influence in Texas GOP politics. In 2023, white-nationalist figure Nick Fuentes was photographed meeting at the offices of a PAC tied to West Texas oil donors who have funded conservative candidates across the state. Then-Texas GOP chair Matt Rinaldi was seen near the building; he denied meeting Fuentes but has backed French.
Conservative commentator Erick Erickson also published a Substack post condemning the rise of far-right figures within some conservative and Christian institutions, warning that white-nationalist and antisemitic sentiments are gaining influence and that Republicans who object are increasingly targeted.
What Rove Is Doing — And Why It Matters
Rove announced he will vote for Jon Rosenthal in the upcoming election. He said this will be only the second time he has voted for a Democrat — the first was Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock in 1994 — and called for a cleansing of the party’s ranks to restore its competitiveness and principles.
The episode has intensified scrutiny of how Republican leaders and institutions respond to candidates and allies accused of bigotry, and it has prompted renewed debate about the direction of the GOP in Texas and nationally.
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