‘Pathetic’ JD Vance slammed for ‘cheap’ reaction to racist texts as Young Republicans spark Trump world crisis
JD Vance is facing criticism for his response to racist leaked texts from the Young Republicans club after it erupted into a national scandal.
The GOP college grassroots organization was last night plunged into chaos after leaked group chats, where members referred to black people as monkeys and praised Adolf Hitler, were published by Politico.
The vice-president dismissed the outrage over the texts, which included condemnation from Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer.
He argued that Democrats were silent when leaked messages showed the party’s Virginia attorney general nominee, Jay Jones, once called for the former Virginia house speaker to be shot and wished another GOP politician’s children dead.
Vance said: ‘This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia.
‘I refuse to join the pearl-clutching when powerful people call for political violence.’
Democrats and Republicans alike called for the students to lose their jobs and resign from any positions they have within the GOP apparatus. Vance, however, was not interested in joining the bandwagon.
The Young Republicans board of directors published an apology on Tuesday after the racist contents of the group chats were leaked.
JD Vance dismissed the outrage to leaked racist text messages from the Young Republicans
The vice-president pointed out that Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones called for the former Virginia House speaker to be shot
Assembly member Mike Reilly fired his chief of staff Peter Giunta (pictured) after he was accused of being an active participant in the chat. Giunta allegedly wrote ‘I love Hitler’ and ‘everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber’ in the private messages
Meanwhile, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor, Abigail Spanberger, refused to say whether she would endorse or denounce Jones’s candidacy during a debate on October 9.
Leaked text messages from 2022 showed Jones calling for former State House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his family to be killed.
One text message allegedly from Jones says that Gilbert should receive ‘two bullets to the head.’
Vance’s excerpt from one of the messages shows Jones claiming ‘only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.’
Some conservatives, who frequently oppose the Trump administration, denounced Vance for shifting the focus away from the racist Republican texts.
‘Translation: “Because a politician for the other team said something indefensible, I shall refuse to criticize something else indefensible said by my team” is exactly the kind moral cowardice and sophistry I’ve come to expect from our vice-president,’ wrote The Dispatch editor-in-chief Jonah Goldberg on X.
‘Oh and to call criticism of bigotry “pearl clutching” is pathetic, cheap, posturing.’
The Bulwark’s Andrew Egger also attacked Vance by writing, ‘Obviously, this wasn’t Vance’s opinion like two weeks ago when random nobodies were making tasteless posts about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.’
Jones also wished that a GOP politician’s children would die, according to the text messages
The Young Republican National Federation has 15,000 members across the United States, all aged between 18 and 40.
Some of those members work within elected offices throughout the country. After Politico’s exposé, at least one member of the group chat was let go from his job, and another had an offer of employment rescinded, the publication states.
New York Republicans Representative Elise Stefanik and state Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt are among politicians to have publicly denounced the chat.
Assembly member Mike Reilly fired his chief of staff Peter Giunta after he was accused of being an active participant in the discussion.
Giunta allegedly wrote ‘I love Hitler’ and ‘everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber’ in the private messages.
‘The comments shared in the group chat that have been reported are extremely troubling and disappointing. They do not align with my values. As a result, Mr. Giunta’s assignment in my office has ended,’ Reilly said.
In Kansas, the chairman of the Republican Party revealed on Tuesday the entire Kansas Young Republicans organization would be immediately deactivated after prominent members of the chapter were accused of being participants in the chat.
University of Dayton professor Art Jipson, who specializes in white racial extremism, blamed Trump for influencing the language of young Republicans.
University of Dayton professor Art Jipson, who specializes in white racial extremism, blamed Trump for influencing the language of young Republicans
The White House noted that Trump had nothing to do with the group chat
‘Trump’s persistent use of hostile, often inflammatory language that normalizes aggressive discourse in conservative circles can be incredibly influential on young operatives who are still trying to figure out, “What is that political discourse?”‘ Jipson said.
White House spokesman Liz Huston hit back at that categorization, noting Trump had nothing to do with the group chat.
‘Only an activist, left-wing reporter would desperately try to tie President Trump into a story about a random group chat he has no affiliation with, while failing to mention the dangerous smears coming from Democrat politicians who have fantasized about murdering their opponent and called Republicans Nazis and Fascists,’ she said in response to the Politico article.
‘No one has been subjected to more vicious rhetoric and violence than President Trump and his supporters.’
Giunta later issued an apology for the comments attributed to him, saying: ‘I am so sorry to those offended by the insensitive and inexcusable language found within the more than 28,000 messages of a private group chat that I created during my campaign to lead the Young Republican National Federation.
‘While I take complete responsibility, I have had no way of verifying their accuracy and am deeply concerned that the message logs in question may have been deceptively doctored.’
Giunta claimed he had been the victim of a ‘highly coordinated year-long character assassination’ and had withstood a ‘barrage of slanderous accusations as well as the dissemination of ai-generated social media posts to falsify past statements I’ve been accused of making.’
Bobby Walker, who at the time of the group chat was vice chairman of the New York State Young Republicans, has also publicly issued a statement after the article alleged he referred to rape as ‘epic.’
The Young Republicans organization has railed against members involved in a ‘vile and inexcusable’ group chat which joked about rape, supporting Hitler and racism. Pictured: Chairman Hayden Padgett
He said the messages ‘may have been altered, taken out of context, or otherwise manipulated’ noting the ‘private exchanges were obtained and released in a way clearly intended to inflict harm.’
‘There is no excuse for the language and tone in messages attributed to me. The language is wrong and hurtful, and I sincerely apologize,’ he added.
New York Congressman Mike Lawler also condemned the chat, writing on X: ‘I’m disgusted by the hateful antisemitism and racism revealed in these messages.
‘Anyone involved in this disgraceful behavior should immediately resign from any leadership position and reflect on how far they’ve strayed from basic decency and respect.’
