PoliticsDeveloping
CNN investigation finds Texas GOP candidate Bo French called for public executions of Democrats in old posts
By Mantle News
Coverage spectrum
Covered by 3 outlets, all left-leaning.
4 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias
A CNN KFile investigation found that Bo French, a Republican running to lead the Texas Railroad Commission, repeatedly called for the public execution of political opponents, including former President Barack Obama, in social media posts dating back years. According to the report, posts from as early as 2020 and as recently as February 2025 referenced hangings, gallows and other forms of capital punishment, including calls tied to unsubstantiated claims about the 2016 Russia investigation. French reportedly used the hashtag “#HangEmHigh” in some posts. The accounts containing the posts have since been deleted or suspended. The Guardian additionally reported that French recently faced criticism from Republicans, including Senator John Cornyn, over a separate social media post.
Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works
What happened
Key points
Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.
CNN’s KFile team reported that Bo French, a Republican candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission, made social media posts calling for public executions of political opponents, including Barack Obama.
Reported byLeft
The posts reportedly span from 2020 to February 2025 and included references to hangings, gallows and the death penalty.
Reported byLeft
French used the hashtag “#HangEmHigh” in some of the posts.
Reported byLeft
The accounts or posts in question have since been deleted or suspended.
Reported byLeft
French has recently faced criticism from fellow Republicans, including Senator John Cornyn, over a separate, unrelated social media post described as racist.
Reported byLeft
How each side tells it
Compare views
the left
3 outlets
Left-leaning outlets uniformly lead with CNN’s investigation into French’s past calls for public executions, with the Daily Beast’s headline using markedly more charged language (“Vile,” “Exposed”) than the more measured phrasing used by The Guardian and The New Republic.
Texas GOP Candidate Has Long History of Calling for Public Executions
The New RepublicFar LeftAll left-leaning headlines the center
0 outlets · 1 opinion
Mantle’s analysis has no note on this side yet. One of its headlines is shown.
Trump, Republicans refuse to pull endorsement of Bo French — why?
The HillCenterAll center headlines the right
No coverage yet
No right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
The words they chose
Language to notice
Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.
Left5
gleefully advocatedso-calledvile hashtagVile
Center0
No loaded words in its own voice.
Right
Has not covered this story.
In the outlets’ own words
Loaded verb
gleefully advocatedMore neutral: repeatedly called
Attributes an emotional state and enthusiasm to French that goes beyond what the posts themselves establish.
Bo French, who is hoping to lead the Texas Railroad Commission, gleefully advocated for the public execution of the former president, so-called “Obama…
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Delegitimizing label
so-calledMore neutral: (omit)
Sneer quotes in word form.
…Commission, gleefully advocated for the public execution of the former president, so-called “Obama conspirators,” and other Democratic figures in since-deleted social media…
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Loaded modifier
vile hashtagMore neutral: the hashtag
Adds an evaluative judgement to the description of the hashtag rather than simply reporting it.
French even used the vile hashtag “#HangEmHigh” while invoking capital punishment against his adversaries.
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Loaded modifier
VileMore neutral: Controversial
Passes explicit moral judgement on the subject rather than describing the posts neutrally.
MAGA Candidate’s Vile Obama Execution Post Exposed
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Show 1 more phrasesShow fewer
Vague attribution
racist statementsMore neutral: posts that drew accusations of racism
Characterizes the posts as racist without specifying who made that determination or quoting the content.
…who is running to lead a state agency, has in the past posted controversial and racist statements online Bo French, a Texas Republican running to lead a powerful state agency,…
Used byThe Guardian (Left)
See for yourself
Side by side
What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.
From the left
3 outletsLeads with
- CNN’s original investigation
- specific quoted posts calling for executions
- the multi-year pattern of similar posts
- French’s current candidacy for a powerful state office
See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
- The New RepublicFar Left
Texas GOP Candidate Has Long History of Calling for Public Executions
A Republican candidate for statewide office in Texas regularly called for public executions in social media posts that he has since deleted. Bo French , who is running to head the Texas Railroad Commission, posted about publicly executing political opponents including President …
- The GuardianLeft
Texas Republican called for public execution of Democratic leaders – report
Bo French, who is running to lead a state agency, has in the past posted controversial and Vague attribution“racist statements”Characterizes the posts as racist without specifying who made that determination or quoting the content.More neutral: posts that drew accusations of racismDisagree with this highlight? online Bo French, a Texas Republican running to lead a powerful state agency, has a history of making controversial social media posts, including calling for the public …
- The Daily BeastFar Left
MAGA Candidate’s Loaded modifier“Vile”Passes explicit moral judgement on the subject rather than describing the posts neutrally.More neutral: ControversialDisagree with this highlight? Obama Execution Post Exposed
A controversial MAGA Republican running for a powerful position in Texas frequently called for his political opponents, including Barack Obama, to be executed, it has been revealed. …
From the center
0 outlets · 1 opinionSee the headline from the centerHide the headlines
Trump, Republicans refuse to pull endorsement of Bo French — why?
If you are a person running for elected office in Texas, of all places, and you repeatedly use the language of hanging and public execution against political opponents, including a Black former president, that should be problematic for everyone.
From the right
0 outletsNo right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?
The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.
Who reported it when
How the coverage built up
Left
First to report
The Daily Beast, Sep 28, 11:39 AM EDT
Center
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
Right
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
- The Daily BeastFar LeftSep 28, 11:39 AM EDT
- The GuardianLeftSep 28, 12:04 PM EDT
- The New RepublicFar LeftSep 28, 12:48 PM EDT
Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.
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