Trump attacks Rove over his criticism of French
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States
President Trump attacked Karl Rove on Truth Social after Rove criticized Bo French, saying Rove is "bad for the Republican Party" and "suffers from a major case of Trump Derangement Syndrome."
“bad for the Republican Party ... suffers from a major case of Trump Derangement Syndrome”
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
Reporting
About this source
Texas Tribune report on Karl Rove telling a private Headliners Club lunch he will vote for French's Democratic opponent, and Trump's subsequent Truth Social response.
Before the quotation
Posting on Truth Social after Rove's remarks were reported.
After the quotation
No further public follow-up had been reported as of this writing.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Trump defends French indirectly by attacking his most prominent critic, Rove, rather than addressing the substance of the UT Austin post, a defense of French by discrediting the condemnation.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Karl Rove, Bo French
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
- Title
- Trump attacks Rove over his criticism of French
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/814-president-trump-attacked-karl-rove-on-truth-social
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Trump attacks Rove over his criticism of French". First published: 2026-09-17. Last updated: 2026-09-17. https://disputeindex.com/events/814-president-trump-attacked-karl-rove-on-truth-social