Ted Cruz calls Bo French post 'idiotic'— but there's more - Chron

Cruz made the comment to producer Frank Thorp outside a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with FBI Director Kash Patel. French is the Republican nominee for Texas railroad commissioner, a statewide post that oversees oil and gas regulation in Texas. Thorp posted Cruz's response on X after asking him directly about French's post concerning University of Texas students.

Cruz kept his response short and private, choosing to answer a reporter's question in a hallway rather than issue a public statement or fire off his own social media post. "Look, it was an idiotic tweet that he sent," Cruz said. "I wish he hadn't sent it."

The bigger story here is the split forming inside the Texas Republican Party over how to handle French. Some in the party want a harder public rebuke. Others, like Cruz, seem content to distance themselves quietly and move on. For Texas GOP voters, this matters because French is running for a statewide office that affects energy regulation across the entire state, not some minor local seat.

A one line hallway comment from a sitting senator now has Texas Republicans arguing about loyalty, discipline, and who gets to speak for the party.