Texas Republican Rep. Brandon Gill has pushed back against criticism after a campaign image shared on X sparked debate over the omission of his Indian-American wife, Danielle D'Souza Gill, from a fundraising post about family values.
The controversy began after The Daily Beast reported that Gill had left his wife out of a campaign advertisement while responding to accusations of racism.
Gill has rejected that characterisation, saying the publication ignored other campaign posts featuring his family that were published the same day.
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What did Brandon Gill post and how is his Indian American wife relevant?
Gill, who represents Texas' 26th Congressional District, shared an image on X featuring himself and his children alongside a message about preserving American values.
"You can call me by any name you want. I just want my children to grow up in a country that they recognize," Gill wrote. "Every parent & grandparent needs to read this."
{{/usCountry}}"You can call me by any name you want. I just want my children to grow up in a country that they recognize," Gill wrote. "Every parent & grandparent needs to read this."
{{/usCountry}}However, users quickly pointed out that the image did not include Danielle D'Souza Gill, the daughter of Indian-born conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza. The Daily Beast reported that the omission was notable because Gill was defending himself against allegations of racism while leaving out his Indian-American spouse.
According to the outlet, several users contrasted the family-focused message with the missing appearance of Gill's wife, who has regularly featured in previous campaign material.
Gill, however, disputed the report. In a post on X, he shared screenshots of three campaign posts published on the same day that included his wife and family.
"All 3 of these posts went up on the same day. But the contemptible liars at the Daily Beast wrote this disgusting headline anyway," Gill wrote, accusing the publication of presenting a misleading narrative.
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Brandon Gill racism bouts
Last week, Gill defended himself against accusations of racism by writing that political opponents frequently labelled him racist to silence him.
In an X post, Gill wrote, “ The left has one debate tactic: call you a racist and pray you shut up. I never will. Calling us racist doesn’t work anymore.”
Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar, an Indian-American lawmaker from Michigan, responded by referencing Gill's previous remarks about Indian Americans and immigration. He wrote, “No one is calling you racist as an attempt to scare you into shutting up. We call you racist because you refer to Indian Americans as ‘7-Eleven workers.”
He also accused Gill of appealing to a racist political base despite being married to an Indian-American woman. “The fact that you married an Indian American shows that you’re just a grifter pandering to a racist base. How pathetic it must be to be that cheap.”
Gill has also previously drawn criticism for comments about immigrants, Somali Americans, Rep. Ilhan Omar, journalist Mehdi Hasan, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Who is Danielle D'Souza Gill?
Danielle D'Souza Gill is a conservative commentator, author and media personality. She is the daughter of Dinesh D'Souza, who was born in India before moving to the United States. Danielle was born in the US and frequently describes herself as a "Christian MAGA patriot."
According to Brandon Gill's campaign website, she has been an active supporter of conservative causes and has regularly defended Republican policies and former President Donald Trump.
Danielle also attracted attention earlier this year during an X feud over New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. After Brandon Gill criticised Mamdani for eating rice with his hands, some users suggested Danielle's Indian heritage meant she may have grown up similarly. She responded on X by saying she was born in America, had "always used a fork," and added that her extended family in India were Christians who also used forks.