Texas County GOP Chair Slammed for Controversial Anti-Muslim Poll

Tarrant County Republican Party Chairman Bo French is under fire after posting a poll on X (formerly Twitter) asking users to decide who poses a greater threat to the U.S.—“Jews” or “Muslims.” The poll, widely condemned as antisemitic and Islamophobic, sparked immediate backlash from state leaders and civil rights groups.

He Deleted the Post

Roughly 73.5% of poll participants chose “Muslims,” with 26.5% selecting “Jews.” French later deleted the post, claiming it was aimed only at “radical Islamists,” not intended to offend Jewish people. Still, that defense didn’t fly with many—including Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick—who publicly called for French’s resignation, saying:

Antisemitism and religious bigotry have no place in Texas.

French Responds

French, however, dug in. In an interview with Chron, he claimed “Islamic radicals” are the greatest threat to America and tied his rhetoric to immigration and national security, blaming President Biden for letting, quote:

20 million illegal aliens into the country. How many of them were jihadists?

Despite removing the poll, French has continued to share similar views online. He reposted a self-written article titled Radical Islam in Tarrant County: Part 1, where he accuses local Muslim leaders of extremist ties—without offering proof. He also criticized Catholic Charities of Fort Worth for working with the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), alleging connections to terrorism—claims dismissed by Muslim advocacy groups.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the poll and demanded French step down, with CAIR-Austin’s Shaimaa Zayan calling it:

“a blatant act of antisemitic and Islamophobic bigotry.”

French Doubles Down

French escalated his stance further in Part 2 of his article series, targeting CAIR and doubling down on accusations against local Muslim figures. He also took aim at Tarrant County State Rep. Salman Bhojani—one of Texas’s only Muslim legislators.

French says he’s not resigning, despite mounting pressure from within his own party. He posted:

I’ve always strongly supported Israel. I’m focused on making Tarrant County even more Republican.

This isn’t French’s first time courting controversy. He’s faced criticism for aligning with far-right figures like Jack Posobiec and appearing at Christian nationalist events. Now, as rumors swirl about a future run for local office, critics say the poll is just the latest example of French steering Tarrant County’s GOP further to the extreme right.