Texas Republicans Avoid Questions on Trump-Endorsed Candidate Brandon Herrera’s Remarks
Key Takeaways
- •Brandon Herrera is a Trump-endorsed congressional candidate and gun-focused YouTube personality running for a competitive Texas House seat formerly held by Tony Gonzales.
- •Political commentators Sam Stein and Will Sommer characterized Herrera's remarks about Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts as "grotesque" and questioned why Republicans have not condemned him.
- •Reps. Chip Roy, Ronny Jackson, and Troy Nehls all declined to answer reporter questions about Herrera's controversial comments when approached on Capitol Hill.
- •Herrera is running in what analysts describe as a tossup district, making the race potentially significant in determining control of the House.
- •Sommer drew a contrast between widespread condemnation of Graham Platner and the lack of Republican criticism directed at Herrera despite similarly controversial statements.
Several Republican lawmakers from Texas declined to answer questions from a reporter about Brandon Herrera, a Trump-endorsed congressional candidate whose comments were described as “grotesque” by political commentators Sam Stein and Will Sommer.
The exchange was featured during an episode of Bulwark Takes, where Stein and Sommer discussed Herrera, whom they identified as a “MAGA gun YouTuber.” Herrera, who has built a large online following around firearm-related content, is part of a broader trend of social media personalities leveraging their audiences into political campaigns. He is running for the Texas congressional seat previously held by former Rep. Tony Gonzales and has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Stein and Sommer highlighted remarks from Herrera’s YouTube videos, including his praise for “the guy who killed Hitler” and explicit comments about Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts. The commentators characterized the remarks about Watts as “grotesque.”
Sommer noted that Herrera is running in a “tossup district in Texas, so it’s not like this is a safe seat.” Competitive districts like this one take on outsized significance when control of the House is decided by narrow margins, making both parties' handling of controversial candidates a strategic concern.
“It’s kind of crazy that he’s not being thrown or being pushed out by Republicans,” Sommer said. “Everyone’s going off on Graham Platner for doing horrible things, rightfully so, but like you know that this stuff that we just played from Herrera seems just as bad and yet no one’s condemning him.”
Against that backdrop, Sommer and Stein sent a reporter to Capitol Hill to ask Texas members of Congress about Herrera, focusing in particular on his remarks about Watts.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) was the first lawmaker shown being approached. Before the reporter could finish asking about Herrera’s comments, Roy said, “I gotta go,” and quickly left the area, prompting laughter from Stein and Sommer.
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) was also asked about Herrera. Jackson did not answer and instead moved up the Capitol steps. “No?” the reporter asked as Jackson walked away.
The reporter later approached Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), who initially appeared prepared to respond. But after the reporter repeated Herrera’s remark, Nehls raised his hands and turned away without answering. The silence from these lawmakers underscores the difficulty incumbents face when asked to weigh in on candidates who carry both a high-profile endorsement and a trail of controversial statements, particularly in races that could help determine the balance of power in the House.