Ken Paxton condemns racism in general without addressing French's post
Attorney General of Texas and Republican Senate nominee posting on his own account
“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.”
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
Case context: Was Bo French’s UT Austin post racist?
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. Editorial review is invited on whether explicitly_declines fits better.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- James Talarico
Was Bo French’s UT Austin post racist?
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