Trump, Republicans refuse to pull endorsement of Bo French — why?

I’m looking for elected Republican officials to condemn Bo French and rescind their endorsements.

The Texas Republican running for the powerful Railroad Commission has now been exposed for years of social media posts calling for the public execution of political opponents , including former President Obama. A recent investigation from CNN’s “KFile” team found a slew of posts either deleted by French or removed for violating X’s rules over the past few years. In one post from last year, French wrote, “I want more than perp walks. I want public executions.” Other posts invoked hanging and gallows.

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.

Texas has its own horrific history with lynching. The last mob lynching recorded in Texas was William Vinson in July 1942 — that wasn’t that long ago — and the state has seen even more recent racially motivated hate crimes, like the murder of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper in 1998 , which is widely recognized by historians and civil rights organizations as a modern-day lynching. Anyone who uses this language should be disqualified from public office.

But still that is only one part of French’s shameful record.

French has also attacked Islam, asked followers whether Jews or Muslims are the bigger threat to America, called childless women selfish, and made that racist post about the diverse student section at a University of Texas football game, describing it as a “problem.” Sen. John Cornyn called French “an embarrassment to the Republican Party.” Republican strategist Karl Rove went even further, saying he would vote for French’s Democratic opponent.

When someone seeking public power repeatedly reaches for the language of racism, gallows and hanging, people are entitled to ask what that rhetoric communicates — especially to Black Texans, who know exactly what those images have meant in this country and in that state.

And yet, despite some Republican condemnation, the most necessary voices that endorsed such a terrible candidate, like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton and the state Republican Party, have not publicly rescinded their support for French.

Democrats faced that question with Graham Platner this summer. After serious sexual-assault allegations , prominent Democrats withdrew their endorsements and called on him to leave the race; Platner ultimately withdrew. Right is right, wrong is wrong.

Political parties are not powerless spectators. Endorsements are choices. They are signals about who a party is willing to stand beside.

So if Republican leaders believe French’s rhetoric is racist and unacceptable, the standard should not stop at a press release or a carefully worded social media statement. Pressure him to drop out, and rescind your endorsements.

Lindsey Granger is a NewsNation contributor and co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising.” This column is an edited transcription of her on-air commentary.