What do you say when few people are listening? Many including myself may answer by referencing snide comments, rude assertions or some minor inappropriate thoughts we might have. But for members of America’s Young Republicans, the answer may very well unsettle and disgust you. In fact, one member puts it best in an archived message: “If we ever had a leak of this chat we would be cooked fr fr.”
About two weeks ago, 2,900 pages of Young Republican (YR) chats (via Telegram) were released to the public. These chats contain racial slurs, anti-semitism, pro-Hitler rhetoric and calls for sexual violence against others. Peter Giunta, former Young Republicans Vice Chair of New York, repeatedly compared his battle to become chair of the Young Republicans National Federation to the extermination of Jewish people during the Holocaust:
“Everyone that votes no [against me] is going to the gas chamber. And everyone that endorsed but then votes for us is going to the gas chamber.”
Another member of the group chat responded to this message, asking Giunta, “If they vote for us why would they be gassed?” To which Giunta replies, “Im going to create some of the greatest physiological torture methods known to man. We only want true believers.”
Joe Maligno and Anne Kaykaty, two additional members of this same group chat, added even more malicious rhetoric to the pot:
(JM): “Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers don’t fit the Hitler aesthetic.”
(AK): “I’m ready to watch people burn now.”
(JM): “We gotta pretend that we like them. ‘Hey, come on in. Take a nice shower and relax’. Boom – they’re dead.”
Though we could spend the rest of October and all of November dissecting every sentence these people wrote, their essence rests in the above quotes. It is plain to see here a fundamental lack of respect for the horrific experiences of others, particularly Jewish people, as well as a social filter missing where a fiercely nationalist pride has replaced it.
As an American, it is embarrassing to see the Vice President of our country vehemently defend such stupid and bigoted behavior. JD Vance appeared on “The Charlie Kirk Show” shortly after these chats leaked, and quickly shielded YR members by citing their ages:
“I really don’t want to us to grow up in a country where a kid telling a stupid joke, telling a very offensive, stupid joke is cause to ruin their lives….If you put something in a group chat, assume that some scumbag is going to leak it in an effort to try to cause you harm or cause your family harm.”
As a media producer and consumer, I would love to ask Vance some of the following questions. Where was this defense of insensitive commentary when conservative pundit Charlie Kirk was assassinated and all of his critics were attacked by Republicans like Vance? Which jokes are ‘offensive’ or ‘stupid’ and not vitriolic and dangerous?
Why are these grown adults referred to as ‘kids’ when Black children have been beaten, abused or murdered, with their victimhood blamed on their immature outlook? Trayvon Martin was murdered at 17-years-old by a neighborhood watch member, and to this day rhetoric is still circulated around the tragedy blaming Martin for walking alone with his jacket hood up. There is obviously a reason for this difference in treatment, and one would be blind if they couldn’t see this reason being race.
I am disconcerted by these leaked messages, and those prone to shoving this situation under the rug should be called to question. Though we as a nation continue to polarize further from our opposite side, this should not become an excuse for our views to radicalize, especially not in such a violent, bigoted way. Accountability for errors has brought humanity out of its darkest recesses; why forget such an idea now?
