From The Texas Tribune · Carlos Nogueras Ramos · · 1m 30s
Karl Rove says he'll vote for a Democrat
A racist post about UT students pushed Bush's old strategist to back a Houston Democrat for Railroad Commission.
In brief
A racist post about UT students pushed Bush's old strategist to back a Houston Democrat for Railroad Commission. When a party's own architect calls a nominee a bigot and votes against him, the fight has moved inside the tent. Originally reported by The Texas Tribune.
Rove crosses the aisle
Karl Rove, George W. Bush's longtime adviser, says he will vote for Houston Democrat Jon Rosenthal for the Texas Railroad Commission instead of Republican Bo French.
He called French a bigot
Rove said it at a members-only lunch at Austin's Headliners Club. Three attendees described the conversation to The Texas Tribune, which granted them anonymity.
“bigot”
Only once before
Rove says he has voted for exactly one Democrat in his life: Texas Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, who was on the ballot for reelection in 1994.
The post that started it
French shared a photo on X of the UT student section celebrating a win over Ohio State and called the students "foreigners" who displaced Americans, with nothing to back it up.
“I didn't believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined.”
Both parties turned on him
Democrats and Republicans alike tore into French over the post, and many of them told him to take it down.
Trump defends the line
Late Monday on Truth Social, Trump called Rove "bad" for Republicans and often wrong, saying Rove resents a decade of losing to him. Neither Rove nor French could be reached.
“He suffers from a major case of Trump Derangement Syndrome”
The takeaway
When a party's own architect calls a nominee a bigot and votes against him, the fight has moved inside the tent.
