Was Bo French’s UT Austin post racist?

Case period:

Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated

Bo French used an image of apparent South Asian UT fans to argue that foreigners were displacing Americans. Critics called the posts racist or xenophobic; French and supporters said they raised a legitimate immigration and admissions dispute.

Question in dispute

UT prioritizes foreigners over Texans in admissions.

The UT Austin Main Building and Tower, with students walking across the front plaza.
UT Austin’s Main Building and Tower in Austin, Texas.Credit: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons
Bo FrenchThe University of Texas at Austin

Overview

The still image came from an official Texas Athletics video of fans celebrating a football comeback. The video and image do not identify the citizenship, residency, or immigration status of the people shown. French expanded his initial post into two explicit propositions: that Americans are being displaced by foreigners and that UT prioritizes foreigners over Texans. In a radio interview the following day, he said his objection concerned policy rather than race and that he had nothing against the pictured people specifically. Critics said French had treated apparent ancestry as evidence of foreign status and had demeaned students based on race or ethnicity. Defenders argued that demographic change, immigration levels, and university admissions priorities are legitimate policy subjects. UT’s published admissions materials state that 90 percent of first-time undergraduate spaces are reserved for Texas residents; the university’s separate automatic-admission percentage applies within those Texas-resident spaces.

Timeline

6 timeline entries on this page. Dates: September 13, 2026 to September 14, 2026

  1. September 2026

    6 events

    1. Texas Athletics publishes celebration video

      Source release

      The Texas Longhorns account posted a 17-second video of fans celebrating the football team’s comeback victory over Ohio State. A still from this video later became the focus of French’s posts.

      [01]Texas Longhorns post video of the Ohio State comeback celebration

      Source excerpt

      THAT'LL DO IT

      Official Texas Athletics post containing the stadium-celebration footage from which the still image used by Bo French was taken.

      Texas Longhorns post video of the Ohio State comeback celebrationX post 2098981262325170663 and attached 17-second video.
    2. French calls the crowd image evidence of a problem

      Claim

      French posted a still showing apparent South Asian fans and said he had heard UT graduation looked similar, adding that the problem was worse than imagined.

      [02]Bo French characterizes an image of UT fans as a demographic problem

      Source excerpt

      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’s first post about the image. The attached still shows apparent South Asian fans in the student section; the post does not identify anyone’s citizenship, residency, or immigration status.

      [01]Texas Longhorns post video of the Ohio State comeback celebration

      Source excerpt

      THAT'LL DO IT

      Official Texas Athletics post containing the stadium-celebration footage from which the still image used by Bo French was taken.

      Texas Longhorns post video of the Ohio State comeback celebrationX post 2098981262325170663 and attached 17-second video.
    3. Cornyn calls the post intolerant and racist

      Reaction

      Cornyn asked other Republican officials to condemn what he called intolerance and racism, establishing a direct disagreement within the party over French’s post.

      [03]John Cornyn calls Bo French’s post intolerant and racist

      Source excerpt

      Are other Republican elected officials going to condemn the intolerance and racism, or look the other way while it becomes normalized.

      Cornyn’s direct response quote-posting French’s first post.

      [04]Texas Tribune reports Republican dispute over Bo French’s UT fan post

      Source excerpt

      The public backlash against French highlighted a growing divide among conservatives.

      State political reporting that documents the sequence of French’s posts and attributable responses from elected officials.

      Texas Tribune reports Republican dispute over Bo French’s UT fan postAccount of French’s posts and reactions from Texas officials.
    4. French expands the post into displacement and admissions claims

      Claim

      French said social media was showing Americans displaced by foreigners, rejected Cornyn’s criticism, and later accused UT of prioritizing foreigners over Texans.

      [05]Bo French says social media shows Americans displaced by foreigners

      Source excerpt

      Social media is exposing how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners.

      Follow-up post in which French connected the images to a broader displacement claim.

      [06]Bo French says UT prioritizes foreigners over Texans

      Source excerpt

      I weep for the families in Texas who can’t get into UT because they prioritize foreigners over Texans.

      French’s reply distinguishes his support for the football team from his allegation about UT admissions priorities.

      [07]Bo French responds to John Cornyn’s condemnation

      Source excerpt

      Our state’s institutions have been overrun by illegal aliens and foreign nationals.

      French’s direct response to Cornyn rejects the criticism and expands his argument to Texas institutions generally.

    5. Officials and commentators take opposing positions

      Reaction

      Republican and Democratic officials condemned the posts, while Savanah Hernandez, Jake Lloyd Colglazier, John Doyle, and others defended French or the demographic argument behind the posts.

      [08]Jared Patterson condemns Bo French’s post

      Source excerpt

      This is racist. It is wrong. And I condemn it without reservation.

      Patterson’s direct response argues that immigration-policy disagreement does not justify demeaning people by race or ethnicity.

      [09]Dustin Burrows says Bo French crossed the line

      Source excerpt

      You can oppose immigration policy without demeaning people because of their race or ethnicity.

      Burrows’s direct response asks French to delete the post while distinguishing immigration-policy opposition from racial or ethnic denigration.

      [10]Drew Darby condemns Bo French’s post and requests an apology

      Source excerpt

      This is racism, plain and simple.

      Darby’s direct response says French should delete the post and apologize, and argues the conduct is unbecoming of a Railroad Commission candidate.

      [11]Gina Hinojosa says Bo French is unfit to serve

      Source excerpt

      This man is unfit to serve.

      Hinojosa’s direct response quote-posting French’s first post.

      [12]Jon Rosenthal criticizes Bo French’s interpretation of the student-section image

      Source excerpt

      A man who can’t tell a Longhorn from a foreigner has no business regulating anything in TX.

      Rosenthal’s direct response criticizes French for inferring foreign status from the fans’ appearance.

      [13]Raja Krishnamoorthi condemns Bo French’s post as xenophobic

      Source excerpt

      These young people were cheering for their university, and you chose to demonize them based solely on how they look.

      Krishnamoorthi’s official congressional account directly responds to French’s displacement post.

      [14]Savanah Hernandez says Bo French is correct

      Source excerpt

      Bo is 1000% correct.

      Hernandez’s direct defense quote-posting French’s first post and arguing that critics misunderstand demographic change in Texas.

      [15]Jake Lloyd Colglazier defends Bo French’s post

      Source excerpt

      The backlash against this perfectly reasonable post demonstrates the deleterious effect of mass immigration on our democratic system.

      Colglazier’s direct defense quote-posting French’s first post.

      [16]John Doyle defends Bo French against John Cornyn’s criticism

      Source excerpt

      A Patriot acknowledging that Texans didn’t ask for their state to become a playground for the third world.

      Doyle’s direct response rejects Cornyn’s racism characterization and defends French’s demographic argument.

      [04]Texas Tribune reports Republican dispute over Bo French’s UT fan post

      Source excerpt

      The public backlash against French highlighted a growing divide among conservatives.

      State political reporting that documents the sequence of French’s posts and attributable responses from elected officials.

      Texas Tribune reports Republican dispute over Bo French’s UT fan postAccount of French’s posts and reactions from Texas officials.
      [17]CBS Texas reports on Bo French’s posts and responses from Greg Abbott and R.C. Damle

      Source excerpt

      That is not my message.

      Original local reporting that verified the still came from an official Texas Athletics video and published Abbott’s direct response.

      CBS Texas reports on Bo French’s posts and responses from Greg Abbott and R.C. DamleStatements attributed to Greg Abbott and R.C. Damle and verification of the image’s source.
    6. French defends the posts as a policy argument

      Reaction

      On The Mark Davis Show, French said the issue was policy rather than race and argued that institutions should prioritize Americans over non-Americans. Later reporting carried Abbott’s separate response rejecting French’s interpretation of the image while defending restrictive immigration policies.

      [18]Bo French defends his UT student post on The Mark Davis Show

      Source excerpt

      It’s not about race. It’s about policy, Mark.

      Full radio episode containing French’s direct defense. French said he had nothing against the pictured people specifically and framed the dispute as whether policy should prioritize Americans or foreigners.

      Bo French defends his UT student post on The Mark Davis ShowEpisode titled “MON SEP 14 9 AM TX RR commission candidate @BoFrench on his Indian student post.”
      [17]CBS Texas reports on Bo French’s posts and responses from Greg Abbott and R.C. Damle

      Source excerpt

      That is not my message.

      Original local reporting that verified the still came from an official Texas Athletics video and published Abbott’s direct response.

      CBS Texas reports on Bo French’s posts and responses from Greg Abbott and R.C. DamleStatements attributed to Greg Abbott and R.C. Damle and verification of the image’s source.
      [19]Texas Tribune reports Bo French’s radio defense and additional reactions

      Source excerpt

      It’s not about race. It’s about policy, Mark.

      Follow-up reporting that quotes French’s radio defense and documents additional attributable reactions.

      Texas Tribune reports Bo French’s radio defense and additional reactionsFrench’s Mark Davis interview and statements from political and industry figures.

Claims

Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.

What's disputed

Arguments

  1. Documented position

    Dustin Burrows, Jon Rosenthal, Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Conor Friedersdorf

    The image did not establish the fans’ status

    Critics argue that French treated apparent South Asian ancestry as evidence that the pictured fans were foreigners and that Americans had been displaced. The official video identifies the setting and event, but it does not establish the citizenship, residency, or immigration status of any person shown.

    Limit of this argument

    The same image also does not establish that every pictured person was a citizen or Texas resident. The narrower point is that it cannot bear the status inference French placed on it.

    Read sources and related claim

    Related claim

    The appearance of the fans in the image showed that Americans had been displaced by foreigners.

    Sources

  2. Editorial analysis

    UT Austin admissions materials and Texas Education Code

    UT’s published allocation favors Texas residents

    UT’s published rules reserve 90 percent of first-time undergraduate spaces for Texas residents. That allocation cuts against a broad claim that the university’s admissions structure prioritizes foreigners over Texans.

    Limit of this argument

    Texas residency is not identical to U.S. citizenship, and the policy does not answer every debate about international enrollment, H-1B programs, or competition within particular admissions categories.

    Read sources and related claim

    Related claim

    UT prioritizes foreigners over Texans in admissions.

    Sources

  3. Documented position

    Jared Patterson, Dustin Burrows, Drew Darby, and Raja Krishnamoorthi

    The criticism focused on the use of identifiable fans

    Critics argue that immigration and admissions policy can be debated without presenting a group of identifiable fans as the visual evidence of a racial or demographic problem. Their objection is directed at the connection French drew between appearance and foreign status, not at the existence of immigration-policy disagreement.

    Limit of this argument

    The fans appeared in footage posted by an official athletics account at a public event. The dispute concerns French’s interpretation and use of the image, not whether the original sports footage could be published.

    Read sources
  1. Documented position

    Bo French

    French says the target was policy, not race

    French says he did not object to the pictured people specifically. He describes the posts as criticism of institutions that, in his view, prioritize non-Americans and as an argument for giving Americans priority in admissions and immigration policy.

    Limit of this argument

    French’s initial post did not state an admissions policy or identify anyone’s status. His later posts supplied the explicit claims about foreigners, displacement, and UT priorities.

    Read sources and related claim

    Related claim

    UT prioritizes foreigners over Texans in admissions.

    Sources

  2. Documented position

    Savanah Hernandez, Jake Lloyd Colglazier, John Doyle, and Brandon Morse

    Defenders say demographic change is a legitimate policy subject

    Defenders argue that the pace and concentration of legal as well as illegal immigration, assimilation, and resulting cultural change are legitimate public-policy concerns. They interpret French’s post as a blunt illustration of that broader demographic argument.

    Limit of this argument

    A broader demographic concern does not by itself establish the status of the pictured fans, prove that any American was displaced by them, or show that UT gives them admissions priority.

    Read sources and related claim

    Related claim

    The appearance of the fans in the image showed that Americans had been displaced by foreigners.

    Sources

  3. Editorial analysis

    Synthesis of French’s defense and supporting statements

    Supporters interpret the image rhetorically

    A defense of the posts can treat the image as a rhetorical prompt about perceived demographic change rather than a formal claim about each individual shown. On that reading, the central intended target is immigration and institutional policy.

    Limit of this argument

    French’s follow-up wording moved beyond symbolism: he described Americans as displaced by foreigners and said UT prioritizes foreigners over Texans, making the evidentiary connection part of the dispute.

    Read sources and related claim

    Related claim

    The appearance of the fans in the image showed that Americans had been displaced by foreigners.

    Sources

Response record

Responses

Latest recorded positions: 14. Dates: September 13, 2026 to September 14, 2026

Choose any combination. Selected filters stay active until you remove them or choose All responses.

1 response on this page

  1. Challenged the characterizationGreg AbbottAbbott rejected French’s interpretation of the image and said it showed Texans uniting around the Longhorns. He separately reaffirmed support for restrictive state immigration laws and freezing H-1B visas at universities.Role at the time: Governor of Texas responding to a request for comment from CBS News Texas.
    "That is not my message. A selective picture of Longhorn fans celebrating our biggest home victory-ever-actually shows a way that Texans unite. We all support our college football teams. The way we win the state is the same way we win football games. We unite under the brand of Texas. That doesn't mean that Texas cannot also lead in having the toughest immigration laws of any state in America and freezing H1B visas at our universities."
    Read context and sources

    Responding to

    The appearance of the fans in the image showed that Americans had been displaced by foreigners.

    Why we used this label

    Abbott challenges French’s characterization of the pictured fans but does not expressly condemn the act of posting the image; he preserves an adjacent restrictive immigration-policy position.

    Before the statement

    CBS News Texas asked Abbott to respond to French’s use of the crowd image.

    After the statement

    Abbott’s response separated a unifying interpretation of the football crowd from his immigration and university visa policies.

    CBS Texas reports on Bo French’s posts and responses from Greg Abbott and R.C. DamleStatements attributed to Greg Abbott and R.C. Damle and verification of the image’s source.

Sources

(24)

Original post

Bo French characterizes an image of UT fans as a demographic problem

Excerpt

"I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn’t believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined."

About this source

French’s first post about the image. The attached still shows apparent South Asian fans in the student section; the post does not identify anyone’s citizenship, residency, or immigration status.

Author
Bo French
Published
Accessed

Original text

Texas Education Code Section 51.803

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Section 51.803(j), nonresident first-time undergraduate cap.

Excerpt

"may not offer admission to nonresident applicants for undergraduate studies who exceed 10 percent"

About this source

Texas statute governing the nonresident share of first-time undergraduate enrollment when UT uses the modified automatic-admission percentage.

Texas Education Code Section 51.803 (opens in a new tab)Section 51.803(j), nonresident first-time undergraduate cap.
Author
Texas Legislature
Accessed

Reporting

Texas Tribune reports Bo French’s radio defense and additional reactions

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: French’s Mark Davis interview and statements from political and industry figures.

Excerpt

"It’s not about race. It’s about policy, Mark."

About this source

Follow-up reporting that quotes French’s radio defense and documents additional attributable reactions.

Texas Tribune reports Bo French’s radio defense and additional reactions (opens in a new tab)French’s Mark Davis interview and statements from political and industry figures.
Author
The Texas Tribune
Published
Accessed

Official statement

UT Austin undergraduate admission catalog

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Residency allocation for first-time undergraduate admissions.

Excerpt

"The university reserves 90 percent of all available spaces for Texas residents."

About this source

Official university catalog describing the statutory residency allocation for first-time undergraduate admission.

UT Austin undergraduate admission catalog (opens in a new tab)Residency allocation for first-time undergraduate admissions.
Author
The University of Texas at Austin
Accessed

Official statement

UT Austin admissions review and decision process

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Automatic admission section describing the share of available Texas-resident spaces.

Excerpt

"75% of the available Texas resident spaces"

About this source

Official admissions guidance. The 75 percent figure concerns available spaces for Texas residents, not the entire incoming class.

UT Austin admissions review and decision process (opens in a new tab)Automatic admission section describing the share of available Texas-resident spaces.
Author
The University of Texas at Austin
Accessed

Reporting

CBS Texas reports on Bo French’s posts and responses from Greg Abbott and R.C. Damle

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Statements attributed to Greg Abbott and R.C. Damle and verification of the image’s source.

Excerpt

"That is not my message."

About this source

Original local reporting that verified the still came from an official Texas Athletics video and published Abbott’s direct response.

CBS Texas reports on Bo French’s posts and responses from Greg Abbott and R.C. Damle (opens in a new tab)Statements attributed to Greg Abbott and R.C. Damle and verification of the image’s source.
Author
CBS News Texas
Published
Accessed

Reporting

Texas Tribune reports Republican dispute over Bo French’s UT fan post

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Account of French’s posts and reactions from Texas officials.

Excerpt

"The public backlash against French highlighted a growing divide among conservatives."

About this source

State political reporting that documents the sequence of French’s posts and attributable responses from elected officials.

Texas Tribune reports Republican dispute over Bo French’s UT fan post (opens in a new tab)Account of French’s posts and reactions from Texas officials.
Author
The Texas Tribune
Published
Accessed

Analysis

Conor Friedersdorf condemns Bo French’s posts about Texas sports fans

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Article discussing French’s posts and the criticism they generated.

Excerpt

"A Bigoted Outburst Against Texas Sports Fans"

About this source

Friedersdorf’s analysis characterizes the posts as bigoted and argues that the pictured fans were treated as foreign based on apparent ancestry.

Conor Friedersdorf condemns Bo French’s posts about Texas sports fans (opens in a new tab)Article discussing French’s posts and the criticism they generated.
Author
Conor Friedersdorf
Published
Accessed

Original post

John Doyle defends Bo French against John Cornyn’s criticism

Excerpt

"A Patriot acknowledging that Texans didn’t ask for their state to become a playground for the third world."

About this source

Doyle’s direct response rejects Cornyn’s racism characterization and defends French’s demographic argument.

Author
John Doyle
Published
Accessed

Analysis

Brandon Morse analyzes the dispute over Bo French’s UT post

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Article conclusion and sections describing the French-aligned position.

Excerpt

"They’re right, too."

About this source

Morse acknowledges objections to the post but substantially defends the underlying demographic concern and rejects treating that concern itself as racist.

Brandon Morse analyzes the dispute over Bo French’s UT post (opens in a new tab)Article conclusion and sections describing the French-aligned position.
Author
Brandon Morse
Published
Accessed

Original post

Raja Krishnamoorthi condemns Bo French’s post as xenophobic

Excerpt

"These young people were cheering for their university, and you chose to demonize them based solely on how they look."

About this source

Krishnamoorthi’s official congressional account directly responds to French’s displacement post.

Author
Raja Krishnamoorthi
Published
Accessed

Original post

Jake Lloyd Colglazier defends Bo French’s post

Excerpt

"The backlash against this perfectly reasonable post demonstrates the deleterious effect of mass immigration on our democratic system."

About this source

Colglazier’s direct defense quote-posting French’s first post.

Author
Jake Lloyd Colglazier
Published
Accessed

Original post

Savanah Hernandez says Bo French is correct

Excerpt

"Bo is 1000% correct."

About this source

Hernandez’s direct defense quote-posting French’s first post and arguing that critics misunderstand demographic change in Texas.

Author
Savanah Hernandez
Published
Accessed

Original post

Jon Rosenthal criticizes Bo French’s interpretation of the student-section image

Excerpt

"A man who can’t tell a Longhorn from a foreigner has no business regulating anything in TX."

About this source

Rosenthal’s direct response criticizes French for inferring foreign status from the fans’ appearance.

Author
Jon Rosenthal
Published
Accessed

Original post

Gina Hinojosa says Bo French is unfit to serve

Excerpt

"This man is unfit to serve."

About this source

Hinojosa’s direct response quote-posting French’s first post.

Author
Gina Hinojosa
Published
Accessed

Original post

Dustin Burrows says Bo French crossed the line

Excerpt

"You can oppose immigration policy without demeaning people because of their race or ethnicity."

About this source

Burrows’s direct response asks French to delete the post while distinguishing immigration-policy opposition from racial or ethnic denigration.

Author
Dustin Burrows
Published
Accessed

Original post

Drew Darby condemns Bo French’s post and requests an apology

Excerpt

"This is racism, plain and simple."

About this source

Darby’s direct response says French should delete the post and apologize, and argues the conduct is unbecoming of a Railroad Commission candidate.

Author
Drew Darby
Published
Accessed

Original post

Jared Patterson condemns Bo French’s post

Excerpt

"This is racist. It is wrong. And I condemn it without reservation."

About this source

Patterson’s direct response argues that immigration-policy disagreement does not justify demeaning people by race or ethnicity.

Author
Jared Patterson
Published
Accessed

Original post

John Cornyn calls Bo French’s post intolerant and racist

Excerpt

"Are other Republican elected officials going to condemn the intolerance and racism, or look the other way while it becomes normalized."

About this source

Cornyn’s direct response quote-posting French’s first post.

Author
John Cornyn
Published
Accessed

Original post

Bo French responds to John Cornyn’s condemnation

Excerpt

"Our state’s institutions have been overrun by illegal aliens and foreign nationals."

About this source

French’s direct response to Cornyn rejects the criticism and expands his argument to Texas institutions generally.

Author
Bo French
Published
Accessed

Interview

Bo French defends his UT student post on The Mark Davis Show

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Episode titled “MON SEP 14 9 AM TX RR commission candidate @BoFrench on his Indian student post.”

Excerpt

"It’s not about race. It’s about policy, Mark."

About this source

Full radio episode containing French’s direct defense. French said he had nothing against the pictured people specifically and framed the dispute as whether policy should prioritize Americans or foreigners.

Bo French defends his UT student post on The Mark Davis Show (opens in a new tab)Episode titled “MON SEP 14 9 AM TX RR commission candidate @BoFrench on his Indian student post.”
Author
Mark Davis and Bo French
Published
Accessed

Original post

Bo French says UT prioritizes foreigners over Texans

Excerpt

"I weep for the families in Texas who can’t get into UT because they prioritize foreigners over Texans."

About this source

French’s reply distinguishes his support for the football team from his allegation about UT admissions priorities.

Author
Bo French
Published
Accessed

Original post

Bo French says social media shows Americans displaced by foreigners

Excerpt

"Social media is exposing how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners."

About this source

Follow-up post in which French connected the images to a broader displacement claim.

Author
Bo French
Published
Accessed

Original post

Texas Longhorns post video of the Ohio State comeback celebration

Excerpt

"THAT'LL DO IT"

About this source

Official Texas Athletics post containing the stadium-celebration footage from which the still image used by Bo French was taken.

Author
Texas Longhorns
Published
Accessed

Corrections

(0)

Corrections address errors in our reporting or labels. When a speaker changes their position, we add a separate statement and link it to the earlier one.

No corrections on this page.