Texas nominees' racist, vulgar remarks receive mixed GOP reaction

Two Texas Republican candidates with controversial online histories are facing mixed reactions from the GOP after receiving backlash for their remarks.

House Speaker Mike Johnson condemned YouTube candidate Brandon Herrera's vulgar language, calling it "detestable" while praising Herrera's campaign. Herrera, who is running for a key Texas congressional seat, had made offensive comments in a 2023 video, including calling a Nazi submachine gun the "original ghetto blaster." Johnson noted that Herrera's current persona is serious and thoughtful.

Meanwhile, Bo French, the Republican nominee for the Railroad Commission, sparked outrage after sharing a photo of students of color celebrating at a Texas Longhorns game. French wrote that he was "unbelievably shocked" by the photo, suggesting that social media exposes the displacement of Americans by foreigners. Republican senators John Cornyn and Dan Crenshaw both criticized French's post, with Cornyn specifically calling out the intolerance and racism in the comments.

Texas Democrats, including Senate nominee James Talarico, praised Cornyn's condemnation of French's comments and urged other Republican candidates to follow suit. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, however, stopped short of condemning French's post, stating that it was not his message and instead emphasized his support for freezing H-1B visas at universities.

The incident highlights the growing scrutiny on candidates' online activities and how it can become an unerasable part of their political record. In the case of Herrera and French, some Republican officials have not backed down from their controversial comments, despite criticism from fellow party members.