U.S. Vice President JD Vance has rejected criticism of a Young Republican group chat that included racist remarks, jokes about assault, and casual talk about gas chambers. Despite bipartisan demands for those involved to be ousted, Vance has defended the controversial conversations.
According to a recent report by Politico, members of The Young Republican National Federation, the GOP’s organization for Republicans aged 18 to 40, made derogatory references to Black individuals as monkeys and “the watermelon people,” and discussed assaulting their adversaries and placing political rivals in gas chambers. Politico obtained extensive messages from a Telegram chat involving leaders and members of the Young Republican National Federation and its affiliates in New York, Kansas, Arizona, and Vermont, revealing the use of offensive language, including racial slurs and homophobic remarks.
The federation has called for the implicated individuals to resign from their positions, denouncing the conversations as inappropriate for any Republican. In contrast, Vance has downplayed the leaked messages, labeling the backlash as an overreaction.
In response to the uproar, Vance shared a screenshot of text messages from 2022 where Jay Jones, a Democratic candidate in Virginia’s attorney general race, suggested violence against a prominent Republican. Vance criticized the focus on the group chat, highlighting the severity of advocating for political violence.
While some Republicans have called for immediate action, including the resignation of state Sen. Sam Douglass in Vermont, others like Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York and Danedri Herbert, chair of the Kansas GOP, have condemned the remarks and urged those involved to step down from their roles.
Democrats have expressed unified disapproval, with California Governor Gavin Newsom requesting an investigation into the offensive messages, labeling them as behavior that violates civil rights laws. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and New York Governor Kathy Hochul have also condemned the exchanges, calling for repercussions and swift condemnation from prominent Republicans like Trump and Vance.
