Almost a month after calling for Bo French’s resignation or removal as chair of the Tarrant County GOP, Republican officials are silent on the future of the party and its leadership. 

Local, state and federal GOP leaders called French out after he posted a poll on X asking whether Jewish or Muslim people posed “a bigger threat to America” in late June. They urged him to step down as chair.

However, any signs of new party leadership for the county appear to have dimmed as French broke his own silence this week to say on social media that he’s not backing down but “doubling down.” 

“I have intentionally been silent since those misguided attacks because I wasn’t going to give oxygen to someone else’s dishonesty,” French wrote in a July 21 post. “But I will not stand by anymore and allow my political enemies to paint me as something that I am so clearly not.”

The chairman, who did not return a request for comment, wrote on X that the attempt to “cancel” him came after a news outlet mischaracterized his social media posts. 

Last month, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was among the first to call for leadership changes, writing on social media that French’s views “do not reflect my values nor the values of the Republican Party.” 

Several other Republican officials formed a chorus, saying French’s “bigotry” against Jewish people is not welcome in the political party. They included U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, Rep. Giovanni Capriglione of Southlake, Congressman Craig Goldman of Fort Worth, state Sen. Phil King of Weatherford, state Sen. Tan Parker of Flower Mound, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez. 

On the same night he was called out, French wrote that he deleted the poll and regretted posting it. He also made it clear that he will not resign as chair. 

Since then, Republican precinct chairs did not take action to reprimand, censure or remove French during their July 12 executive committee meeting. Precinct chairs can initiate a forcible ousting of their party chair with a majority vote.

Without support from Tarrant GOP precinct chairs, those who called for French’s resignation have limited options to force him out of the party. It’s unclear if they plan to pursue them. 

The Republican Party of Texas executive committee can remove county chairs by a majority vote. The state party’s leadership did not return a request for comment on whether it would pursue ousting French. 

The Fort Worth Report contacted Patrick, Cornyn, Capriglione, Goldman, King, Sen. Parker, Mayor Parker and Ramirez for comment on whether they intend to continue pursuing French’s removal and how his continued leadership will impact the local party. 

A spokesperson for Cornyn said the senator has no further comment beyond his June 27 post, in which he wrote, “I am with @DanPatrick.” The other seven officials did not respond. 

In French’s statement this week, he stood by his belief that Tarrant County faces a “threat of radical Islam,” while discrediting the accusations that his commentary was antisemitic. 

“Of course, speaking boldly and with clarity on these issues will continue to (elicit) criticism from the establishment,” French wrote. “They’re calling America First conservatives deplorables, racists, homophobes and now antisemites. Haven’t they learned that these completely baseless attacks don’t work?” 

Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org. 

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