Texas GOP Candidate Faces Backlash Over Podcast Joke Involving Kittens and Chinese Restaurants
Texas Republican congressional candidate Brandon Herrera faced backlash after a resurfaced podcast clip showed him joking that unadopted kittens could be sent to Chinese restaurants, invoking a racist stereotype about Chinese people and pet consumption. The remarks, made during a 2025 podcast discussing animal rescue, drew criticism online. Herrera, known as "The AK Guy" and endorsed by former President Trump, is running for Texas' 23rd Congressional District. The controversy follows previous remarks by Herrera that also sparked criticism.
First-hand measurement across 2 sources
We measured how 2 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is negative (26/100). Lens Score 49/100.
Outlets measured: ndtv, hindustantimes. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (25–28/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
hindustantimes broke this story on 22 Oct, 02:59 am. Other outlets followed.