Texas Republicans are turning on Gov. Greg Abbott, accusing their own party leader of pouring gasoline on a racism scandal instead of putting it out.
The firestorm started Sunday when Bo French, the GOP nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner, posted a photo of University of Texas football fans, "most of them people of color," writing that "the problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined," according to Politico. The post appeared to target South Asian students and sent Texas Republicans into a panic over the damage it could do "down the ballot," including Attorney General Ken Paxton's struggling Senate bid and Abbott's own reelection.
According to a report, Abbott tried to distance himself in a Sunday statement, saying French's post "is not my message" — then immediately pivoted to touting his immigration crackdown, insisting unity "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."
That response is what really set off Republicans and created a "blast radius" that has set off GOP infighting.
"It's pretty damn disgusting of Greg Abbott to say, 'I condemn racism, but also, like, we're keeping all the Indians out.' That's essentially what that tweet read to me," Anang Mittal, an Indian American national GOP strategist told Politico before noting the students in French's photo were likely on student visas, not H-1Bs.
Matt Mackowiak, an Austin GOP consultant who advised Cornyn's failed primary bid against Paxton, said French's post alone was already a disaster. "His post on social media is profoundly unhelpful if his goal is to see Republicans win statewide races in a tough political environment in 50 days," Mackowiak said.
Austin consultant Brendan Steinhauser, a UT graduate, warned French may have alienated voters Republicans need.
"He just irritated a bunch of people, many of whom could be supporters and could be Republicans," Steinhauser said, adding that many of those students' families likely lean conservative.
The infighting lands as Texas Republicans already fear losing Hispanic and other minority voters this cycle, Politico reported.