Last week, a photo of celebrating Texas Longhorns students stirred controversy. Bo French, a Republican candidate for Texas railroad commissioner, commented on the racial diversity in the cheering section. His online remarks implied there were too many non-white students, particularly of Indian heritage.
French expressed concern that families in Texas could not access UT as foreigners were prioritized. His comments faced backlash from several Republican figures. Erick Erickson highlighted the infiltration of white nationalist ideologies within the party. Prominent figures like Karl Rove and Ben Shapiro criticized French’s stance.
Ironically, the conservative legal movement has long worked to enforce race-blind admissions, opposing affirmative action policies. Identitarian conservatives who lament the absence of racial preferences contradict their movement’s progress in banning race-based admissions.
UT-Austin’s notable involvement in this legal history dates back to the Abigail Fisher case. Fisher was denied admission due to race-based policies, which went to the Supreme Court in 2013 and 2016, ultimately culminating in the landmark 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard University. This decision rendered race-based admissions illegal.
Texas Republicans have been proactive in eliminating race-conscious admissions, with figures like Ken Paxton, Ted Cruz, and John Cornyn advocating for this change. Governor Greg Abbott also banned diversity, equity, and inclusion mandates in education.
The abolition of racial selection in admissions now leads to merit-based university acceptance. High-achieving immigrant groups, such as Asians and Indians, often secure a disproportionate number of admissions slots based on their academic achievements. Right-wing identitarians opposing this merit-based approach resemble progressives who previously prioritized race in admissions.
Universities now prioritize individual merit over race, ensuring students earn their places based on academic capability. Those objecting to both race-based and merit-based admissions indicate a preference for white nationalism. This stance prompts many right-wing figures to distance themselves from such ideologies.
Robby Soave, co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising” and a senior editor for Reason Magazine, provided this insight. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved.
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