The Young Republican National Federation demanded the resignation of several of the organization’s leaders Tuesday, just hours after a report outlined their alleged racist and sexist remarks in a leaked group chat.
“Such behavior is disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents,” the organization’s statement said. “Those involved must immediately resign from all positions within their state and local Young Republican organizations. We must hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity, respect, and professionalism.”
Politico analyzed nearly 3,000 text messages exchanged in a Telegram group chat among a dozen millennial and Gen Z Republicans who represent youth-oriented GOP organizations in different states across the country. The publication found graphic language targeting Democrats, racial minorities, LGBTQ+ people and women, allegedly shared by Young Republican leaders in New York, Kansas, Arizona and Vermont.
In the Telegram chats, the Young Republicans reportedly referred to Black people as monkeys and “the watermelon people,” joked about putting their political opponents in gas chambers, spoke at length about raping their enemies and driving them to suicide, and lauded Republicans who they believed support slavery.
The slurs “faggot,” “retarded” and the N-word appeared more than 251 times combined.
William Hendrix, the Kansas Young Republicans’ vice chair, used variations of the racial slur for Black people more than a dozen times, while Bobb Walker, who was vice chair of the New York State Young Republicans at the time, said rape was “epic.”
“Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers don’t fit the Hitler aesthetic,” Joe Maligno, who previously identified himself as the general counsel for the New York State Young Republicans, wrote in one message.
“I’m ready to watch people burn now,” Annie Kaykaty, New York’s national committee member, said in response.
While Politico reported the story, at least two members of the group chat were dismissed, or disqualified, from employment opportunities. At least one state GOP group, the Kansas Young Republicans, has been shut down after the story surfaced.
At least one group chat member, Michael Bartels, is employed within the Trump administration as a senior adviser in the office of general counsel within the U.S. Small Business Administration, according to his LinkedIn profile. While he didn’t contribute any messages to the group chat, he also did not speak out against the rhetoric.
In response to a reporter’s question about the group chat on Tuesday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the content of the Telegram group chat is symbolic of a nationwide mentality.
“These [people] are the future of the Republican party,” Hochul said. “This was so vile it is hard to find the words to put into context that these are people that are part of a political party…and they believe in gas chambers, and rape, and discrimination based on the color of people’s skins.”
“Maybe let’s do a little reexamination of how far this has gone where this is normalized enough that thousands of texts are uncovered,” she continued. “There’s got to be consequences.”
Republicans appear to be split in their reactions to the group chat. New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and the state’s Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, also denounced the chat in statements to Politico.
“I was shocked and disgusted to learn about the racist, anti-Semitic and misogynistic comments attributed to members of the New York State Young Republicans,” Ortt said. “This behavior is indefensible and has no place in our party or anywhere in public life.”
Governor of Vermont Phil Scott, along with the state’s Republican Leadership, called for those involved to “resign from their roles immediately and leave the Republican party.”
But at least one prominent Republican spoke up in support of the young GOP leaders: Vice President JD Vance.
He posted to social media Tuesday evening in support of the youth organizers, comparing their rhetoric to Virginia’s Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones, who has been accused of calling for violence against his political rivals in another set of leaked private messages. Vance posted his defense alongside a photograph of a text message conversation allegedly belonging to Jones.
“This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia,” Vance posted. “I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence.”
Some group chat members apologized for the harmful language but alleged the chats “may have been altered, taken out of context, or otherwise manipulated” and that the “private exchanges were obtained and released in a way clearly intended to inflict harm.”