In May 2005, a controversy arose over comments Fox made during a meeting with Texas business people in which he said, “There is no doubt that Mexicans, filled with dignity, willingness and ability to work, are doing jobs that not even blacks want to do there in the United States.”

In 2006, after Bolivian President Evo Morales refused to sell natural gas, Fox said, “Well, they’ll either have to consume it all themselves or they’re going to have to eat it.”

In 2006, Fox decided to cancel the parade commemorating the 96th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution which was scheduled to take place on 20 November, arguing it was an obsolete celebration that nobody wanted to participate in any more. Some commentators considered that this was a response to Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s assumption of an alternative presidency to take place the same day.

In his post-presidency, Fox has drawn significant attention for controversial remarks regarding Mexican politician Claudia Sheinbaum, who has Jewish ancestry and recently became Mexico’s first Jewish president.

In July 2023, Fox faced widespread backlash and later apologized after referring to Sheinbaum as a “Bulgarian Jew” in a since-deleted social media post, attempting to use her ethnicity and heritage to discredit her suitability for the presidency. He made a similar comment later when Sheinbaum wore a rosary.