U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi has condemned Texas Republican Railroad Commission nominee Bo French over social media posts targeting a group of University of Texas students celebrating the Longhorns’ football victory, calling the remarks “xenophobic” and part of a broader rise in attacks against South Asian Americans.
French drew widespread criticism after posting a photo on X showing a diverse group of students celebrating Texas’ victory over Ohio State at the University of Texas in Austin.
“I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn’t believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined,” French wrote alongside the photo, according to FOX 4 News.
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French later reposted the image and wrote that social media was showing “how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners,” further intensifying criticism of the Republican candidate.
Krishnamoorthi, a Democratic congressman from Illinois, responded by defending South Asian students and criticizing French for focusing on their appearance.
“Bo, you don’t know America. Your xenophobic hate toward South Asian students is disgraceful and part of a broader rise in attacks targeting South Asian Americans across the country,” Krishnamoorthi said.
“These young people were cheering for their university, and you chose to demonize them based solely on how they look. South Asian Americans are as American as anyone, and this kind of hatred has no place in our politics or our country,” he added.
The controversy has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, condemned French’s remarks and questioned whether other Republican elected officials would speak out against what he described as intolerance and racism.
French responded by accusing Cornyn and other Republicans of allowing Texas institutions to be overtaken by “illegal aliens and foreign nationals.”
French’s Democratic opponent, Texas state Rep. Jon Rosenthal, also criticized the post, saying French had focused on the students’ skin color rather than their support for the university football team.
The episode has also drawn criticism from other Texas Republicans. Republican state Rep. Jared Patterson called French’s comments racist and said there was nothing conservative about viewing young Texans at a college football game through the lens of their skin color.
The controversy comes amid a broader debate over immigration, race and the growing South Asian population in Texas. The photo itself showed students attending a football game rather than a graduation ceremony, despite French’s initial characterization of the image.
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French has faced controversy over inflammatory comments before. FOX 4 reported that he posted a poll last year asking followers which group posed a greater threat to America, Jews or Muslims. Then-Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called for French’s resignation at the time, while French apologized but declined to step down.
For South Asian Americans, the dispute has renewed attention on how the community is portrayed in political discourse. Krishnamoorthi’s response framed the incident as part of a wider concern about attacks directed at South Asian Americans based on appearance or perceived foreignness.
The controversy is likely to remain a political issue as Texas Republicans confront questions about the boundaries of immigration rhetoric and the treatment of increasingly diverse communities in the state.