The mayor of Arlington, Texas, is facing renewed scrutiny after video surfaced showing him berating a Christian preacher with profanity-laced and sexually explicit remarks during a 2023 LGBT festival.
The footage—originally captured by Vice and later obtained by The Dallas Express—appears to show Mayor Jim Ross confronting the late Ruben Israel, a well-known street preacher, in a heated exchange that has stunned local political observers.
Ross, who has branded himself as a political moderate but has consistently advanced race- and gender-based initiatives and promoted LGBT pride events, can be heard in the recording dismissing Israel’s message as “hateful.” What followed was a tirade that veered into personal and vulgar territory.
🚨BOMBSHELL🚨 Newly surfaced footage identifies Texas Arlington Mayor Jim Ross at an LGBTQ festival telling a Christian preacher: “I’d f*ck your old lady in the *ss.” Ross used vulgar language and made explicit remarks
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“You don’t think anal sex is good, do you? Have you ever fed your old lady in the a? I’d f** your old lady in the a**,” Ross says at one point, before escalating to calling Israel a “p**** mother*er” and ordering him to “shut your a” repeatedly.
The remarks—delivered while Ross was serving as mayor and at a public event—have prompted sharp condemnation. Tarrant County GOP Chairman Bo French has called for Ross’s “immediate” resignation.
Republican Precinct Chair TK Campbell echoed that demand, describing the comments as “a disgrace” and likening Ross’s behavior to “the worst of today’s cursing Democrats.” Campbell also took a jab at the mayor’s personal finances, referencing recent IRS wage garnishments over unpaid taxes—debts reportedly totaling around $175,000 with nearly $1,000 in penalties and interest.
Ross’s tenure has been marked by the creation of multiple advisory councils based on racial, ethnic, and religious identity—including groups for Black, Asian, Latino, Muslim, and LGBTQ residents.
He has defended the councils as a means of ensuring diverse perspectives in city leadership, though critics have accused him of pandering and fostering division.