Cornyn Refuses To Back Bo French After Racist Posts, Calls Nominee An "Embarrassment"

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Thursday he will not vote for Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas railroad commissioner, citing a recent racist social-media post that targeted South Asian students at the University of Texas at Austin.

Cornyn called French "an embarrassment to the Republican Party" and warned that the candidate's remarks could "drag the whole ticket down," telling Washington Examiner reporter Ramsey Touchberry he could not support French after the posts.

What French Posted

In a Sunday post on X accompanied by a photo of nonwhite students at a football game, French 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." He later shared the same image with a follow-up message: "Like body-cams exposed criminals, social media is exposing how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners."

Reaction From Republicans

The posts prompted bipartisan backlash. Cornyn joined other prominent Republicans, including Karl Rove and former Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, in publicly condemning French. Several Texas GOP officials issued more measured statements, and few have called for French to withdraw from the race.

"This is the Republican nominee for statewide office. Are other Republican elected officials going to condemn the intolerance and racism, or look the other way while it becomes normalized. This is how great political parties self-destruct. Sad." —Sen. John Cornyn, on X

French has not apologized and has reportedly used the controversy in fundraising appeals. His campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sen. John Cornyn speaks to reporters following a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on Aug. 4, 2026. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)