Ken Paxton condemns racism in general without addressing French's post
Ken PaxtonAttorney General of Texas and Republican Senate nominee posting on his own account
Asked directly to condemn French's post, Paxton said he condemns racism in all its forms and then accused Talarico of dividing Texans by race, without addressing French's post.
“I condemn racism in all its forms, including James Talarico saying white men are America's top terror threat and that he prays to overcome his own 'whiteness,' whatever that means. Only one person in this race has a history of dividing Texans by race, and it’s James Talarico. I will continue to focus on uniting our State and bringing together the broadest possible coalition to fight for Texas, our values, and our families.”
Original post
Reporting
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
Post published 5:48 PM ET on September 13, 2026, quote-posting James Talarico's direct challenge to condemn French's post. Paxton does not characterize French's post.
Reporting
About this source
Politico report timestamped 5:00 AM ET on September 15, 2026. It states that no Republican explicitly called for French to drop out, that Dan Patrick did not respond to a request for comment, and that two students in the photo told the Dallas Morning News they are US citizens.
Before the quotation
The post quotes and replies to James Talarico's challenge asking whether Paxton would condemn the post or cower to extremists.
After the quotation
Politico characterised Paxton as among Republicans less willing to fully denounce French's comments, and reported that a spokesperson for Paxton did not respond to a request for comment.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The conduct under scrutiny is French's UT fan post. Paxton was challenged directly about it and neither condemned nor defended it, offering a general condemnation of racism while redirecting to his opponent. That is why this is mixed rather than a condemnation.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- James Talarico
More from this case
Read the full caseRosenthal calls donations a rejection of French
“The people are rejecting this bold, racist campaign of his.”Read statement
Krishnamoorthi 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
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The Dispute Index. "Ken Paxton condemns racism in general without addressing French's post". First published: 2026-09-16. Last updated: 2026-09-25. https://disputeindex.com/events/739-asked-directly-to-condemn-french-s-post-paxton