J.D. Vance dismisses bipartisan furor over young GOP’s racist and offensive group chat

The public release of a Young Republican Party group chat that included racist language, jokes about rape, and crude comments on gas chambers led to both the Republican and Democratic parties calling for those involved to be removed from office or resign from office.

The National Youth Republican Federation, the Republican Party’s political organization for Republicans ages 18 to 40, called on participants to step down from the organization. The group described the exchanges, which were first reported by Politico, as “unbecoming of any Republican.”

Read more: Vance says DOGE employee who resigned after report of racist posts should be reinstated

However, Republican Vice President J.D. Vance has resorted several times to speak out against what he described as a “pearly grip” over the leaked messages.

Politico obtained months of exchanges from a Telegram chat between leaders and members of the National Youth Republican Federation and some of its affiliates in New York, Kansas, Arizona and Vermont.

Below is a summary of reactions to the inflammatory group chat, in which participating customers and administrators publicly expressed concern that their comments might leak, even as they continued their conversation.

Vance

After Politico’s initial report on Tuesday, Vance posted on

“This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the man who said it could become Attorney General of Virginia,” Vance wrote Tuesday. “I refuse to join the pearl-clutching campaign when powerful people call for political violence.”

Jones then said he took “full responsibility” for his comments and made a public apology to Todd Gilbert, who was then speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates.

Vance reiterated his initial sentiments Wednesday on “The Charlie Kirk Show,” saying when asked about reports that “someone who seriously desires political violence and political assassination is 1,000 times worse than what a group of young people, a group of kids in a group chat, says, no matter how offensive.”

Read more: Federal workforce shutdown cuts will “most likely” exceed 10,000, Foote says

Vance, 41, said he grew up in a different era where “most of the stupid things I did as a teenager and young adult didn’t exist on the Internet.”

The father of three said he would warn his children, “Especially my kids, don’t put things on the internet, like, be careful what you post. If you put something in a group chat, assume some bugger will leak it in an attempt to try to hurt you or cause harm to your family.”

“I really don’t want us to grow up in a country where a kid who tells a stupid joke, or tells a very offensive joke, is going to ruin their life,” Vance said.

Republicans

Other Republicans called for more immediate intervention. Vermont’s Republican legislative leaders, along with Gov. Phil Scott — also a Republican — called for the resignation of state Sen. Sam Douglas, who was revealed to be involved in the chat. A joint statement from GOP lawmakers called the comments “unacceptable and deeply disturbing.”

Saying she was “deeply appalled to learn of the alleged comments made by young Republican leaders in New York State,” Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York called on those involved to step down. Deandre Herbert, chairman of the Kansas Republican Party, said the statements “do not reflect the beliefs of Republicans and certainly do not reflect the beliefs of Republicans in Kansas in general.”

In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, the Young National Republican Federation said it was “appalled” by the reported messages and called on those involved to resign from their positions within the organization. Young Republican leaders said this behavior was “disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and is in direct conflict with the values ​​our movement stands for.”

Democrats

Democrats have been more consistent in their condemnation. On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, requesting an investigation into the “vile and offensive text messages,” which he described as “defining conduct that could create a hostile and discriminatory environment that violates civil rights laws.”

He watches: Jeffries says Democrats are in a lockdown fight ‘until we win,’ slams Trump’s social media video as ‘racist and fake’

Speaking on the Senate floor, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York on Tuesday called the conversation “disgusting” and called on Republicans including Trump and Vance to “quickly and unequivocally condemn these comments.”

Asked about the reports, New York Governor Kathy Hochul called the exchanges “despicable” and called for consequences for those involved.

“Kick them out of the party. Take away their official roles. Stop using them as campaign advisors,” Hochul said. “There have to be consequences. This bullshit has to stop.”

Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in preparing this report.