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A trove of thousands of private messages has cast a harsh light on the private conversations of Young Republican leaders across the United States. These internal Telegram chats, now public, reveal a disturbing landscape of racist, antisemitic, misogynistic, and violent rhetoric, including jokes about gas chambers, slavery, and rape, alongside expressions like “I love Hitler.”
Disturbing Content from Key Figures
The leaked messages, spanning over seven months, paint a picture of how a new generation of GOP activists speak when they believe their conversations are secure. Comments ranged from calling political opponents “f—-ts” and “r——d” to suggesting they should be driven to suicide or put in “gas chambers.” Black individuals were referred to using dehumanizing terms such as “monkeys” and “the watermelon people.”
- Peter Giunta, then-chair of the New York State Young Republicans, wrote in June, “Everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber,” referring to a leadership vote. He also boasted about creating “physiological torture methods” for those not deemed “true believers” and later stated, “Great. I love Hitler.”
- Joe Maligno, previously general counsel for the New York State Young Republicans, quipped, “Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers don’t fit the Hitler aesthetic.”
- Annie Kaykaty, New York’s national committee member, added, “I’m ready to watch people burn now.”
- William Hendrix, vice chair of the Kansas Young Republicans, used variations of a racial slur more than a dozen times and made racially charged remarks about Black people. He was subsequently terminated from his position in the Kansas Attorney General’s office.
- Bobby Walker, then-vice chair of the New York State Young Republicans, referred to rape as “epic” in one exchange and used homophobic slurs.
A Culture of Extreme Rhetoric
The extensive 2,900-page chat log, obtained by POLITICO, reveals a culture where extreme views circulated freely among a dozen millennial and Gen Z Republicans. Many of these individuals already hold positions within government or party politics, with one serving as a state senator.
Joe Feagin, a Texas A&M sociology professor specializing in racism, noted that the “liberating” political atmosphere, particularly with the rise of figures like Donald Trump, has emboldened individuals to express racist sentiments both privately and publicly. He voiced concern that such words could translate into public policy, calling the revelations “chilling.”
Fallout and Internal Divisions
Since the revelations, the fallout has been swift. At least one individual is no longer employed, and a job offer for another was rescinded. Prominent New York Republicans, including Rep. Elise Stefanik and state Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, have publicly condemned the chat content.
Amidst the condemnations, internal Young Republican rivalries have also come to light. Peter Giunta claimed the leak was a “highly-coordinated year-long character assassination” by rivals, alleging extortion. Bobby Walker also suggested portions of the chat might have been “altered, taken out of context, or otherwise manipulated.” Both Giunta and Walker issued apologies for the “insensitive and inexcusable language” used, while simultaneously raising questions about the messages’ authenticity or context.
An affidavit signed by Michael Bartels, a Trump administration senior adviser and chat member, indicated he was pressured to provide the chat logs, highlighting the deep-seated infighting within the Young Republican movement.
Racism, Homophobia, and Antisemitism Permeate Messages
Beyond explicit calls for violence, the chat contained a relentless barrage of slurs and derogatory remarks. Epithets targeting various minority groups appeared over 251 times, demonstrating a pervasive pattern of hate speech.
- Derogatory comments were made about Indian women and pilots of darker skin tones.
- Samuel Douglass, a Vermont state senator, participated in exchanges, and his wife, Brianna Douglass, made an antisemitic comment about “expecting the Jew to be honest.”
- In one particularly offensive exchange, after a discussion about the Spanish coming to America, Luke Mosiman, chair of the Arizona Young Republicans, stated, “It was rape,” to which Bobby Walker responded, “Epic.”
- The chat members used white supremacist symbols, such as “1488,” a code word referencing “Heil Hitler” and a white supremacist slogan.
- Giunta openly praised a youth group for supporting “slavery and all that shit. Mega based.”
Broader Political Context and Denunciations
The private rhetoric emerges amidst a broader coarsening of political discourse, with some observers drawing parallels to the language used by figures like Donald Trump. While a White House spokesperson rejected any link to Trump’s rhetoric, the context underscores a growing comfort with inflammatory language in conservative circles.
Despite previously endorsing Giunta, Rep. Elise Stefanik and Roger Stone condemned the comments, with Stefanik calling for those responsible to “step down immediately.” State and county GOP leaders, including New York State GOP Chair Ed Cox, also denounced the remarks, emphasizing that such behavior “has no place within our party.”
Financial Mismanagement and Awareness of Risk
The leak also revealed discussions about alleged financial mismanagement within the New York State Young Republicans, with chat members flippantly joking about draining funds for personal expenses and anticipating bankruptcy. This comes as the organization faces over $38,000 in debt and missing financial disclosure forms.
Ironically, the chat members themselves were aware of the dangerous nature of their conversations. Bobby Walker, in a stark moment of prescience, wrote, “If we ever had a leak of this chat we would be cooked fr fr,” acknowledging the severe consequences should their private words ever become public.