Rosenthal says French inferred foreign status from skin color
Jon RosenthalTexas state representative and Democratic nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner posting on X.
Rosenthal accused French of sorting UT fans by skin color and of mistaking Longhorn fans for foreigners.
Responding to
French’s posts demeaned the pictured people because of their race or ethnicity.
“I spent 25 years as an oil and gas engineer. Bo French spent Sunday morning sorting our student section by skin color. Greg Abbott said Bo French would “wreck” our oil and gas industry. A man who can’t tell a Longhorn from a foreigner has no business regulating anything in TX.”
Original post
Reporting
Other statements by Jon Rosenthal in this case
- Rosenthal calls donations a rejection of FrenchLater: Condemned
Where this statement fits
Was Bo French’s UT Austin post racist?
After the University of Texas football team’s September 12, 2026 comeback win over Ohio State, Republican Railroad Commission nominee Bo French posted a still image of apparent South Asian fans and called what it showed a “problem.” He later said social media was exposing Americans being displaced by foreigners and accused UT of prioritizing foreigners over Texans. French and several supporters framed the posts as a legitimate criticism of immigration and admissions policy. Republican and Democratic officials, along with other commentators, condemned the use of the fans’ appearance as racist or xenophobic. Governor Greg Abbott rejected French’s interpretation of the image while reaffirming support for restrictive immigration policies.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Rosenthal’s direct response criticizes French for inferring foreign status from the fans’ appearance.
Reporting
About this source
Original local reporting that verified the still came from an official Texas Athletics video and published Abbott’s direct response.
Before the quotation
French had connected the image to claims that Americans were being displaced by foreigners.
After the quotation
Rosenthal continued to argue that French’s remarks threatened confidence in the Railroad Commission.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Rosenthal directly condemns the conduct under scrutiny as race-based and argues it makes French unfit for the office he seeks.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Bo French
More from this case
Read the full caseKrishnamoorthi calls French’s UT fan post a xenophobic attack
“The Department of Education seems to be playing dog whistles to Bo French’s tune just days after his xenophobic attack on South Asian students for cheering for their own college football team. South Asian Americans are as American as anyone.”Read statement
French says his UT fan posts were about culture, not race
“It’s fair to say that Texas doesn’t look and feel like it did when I was a kid, and that’s not racist.”Read statement
Cornyn says he will not vote for French, calling him "an embarrassment to the Republican Party"
“He's an embarrassment to the Republican Party, and he's going to drag the whole ticket down because of his racist comments.”Read statement
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- Rosenthal says French inferred foreign status from skin color
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The Dispute Index. "Rosenthal says French inferred foreign status from skin color". First published: 2026-09-15. Last updated: 2026-09-15. https://disputeindex.com/events/576-rosenthal-accused-french-of-sorting-ut-fans-by