1:35The New York Young Republican Club’s emblem is pictured during their yearly gathering in New York, as seen in this Dec. 15, 2024, archived image.Adam Gray/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
Following a report this week revealing that several members of the Young Republican group shared communications in a group dialogue utilizing offensive terms, extolling Hitler and generating jokes concerning slavery and sexual assault, some GOP figures are raising concerns and requesting that their fellow party affiliates step down.
Vermont’s Republican Governor, Phil Scott, singled out state senator and leader of Vermont’s Young Republican segment, Sam Douglass, stating he should “immediately” resign and exit the party due to his supposed participation in the group dialogue on the Telegram messaging platform, which was initially documented by Politico.
“The abhorrent remarks made within this group dialogue are sickening and unacceptable. The disgusting, prejudiced, narrow-minded, and anti-Semitic conversation that has been reported is profoundly unsettling. There is absolutely no justification for it,” Scott expressed in a declaration Tuesday. “Those implicated should promptly resign from their positions and depart the Republican party — including Vermont State Senator Sam Douglass.”
Douglass did not immediately acknowledge ABC’s request for a statement.
According to Politico’s account, the Telegram messages were exchanged amongst the heads of the Young Republican divisions in Arizona, Vermont, Kansas, and New York. As stated by Politico, at least one participant in the Telegram dialogue is presently employed within the Trump administration.
ABC News has not separately verified the Telegram dialogue.
The Young Republican National Federation (YRNF) is comprised of members between 18 and 40 years of age and maintains a division in each state. As per the group’s webpage, the organization endeavors to enlist young individuals into the GOP, subsequently training them and motivating them to pursue public office.
“We are horrified by the despicable and inexcusable language revealed in the Politico piece published today. Such conduct is shameful, unfitting of any Republican, and directly opposes the principles our movement embodies,” the YRNF Board of Directors articulated in a statement Tuesday, adding that “those concerned must immediately resign from all roles within their state and local Young Republican bodies.”
The Chair of the Kansas GOP party, Danedri Herbert, revealed Tuesday that the state’s Young Republicans segment has been rendered inactive.
“These remarks do not represent the convictions of Republicans and certainly not Kansas Republicans in general, who elected a Black chair a few months prior,” the statement conveyed in part. “As of today, the Kansas Young Republicans organization is non-operational.”
Other Young Republican state segments throughout the nation have condemned the written communications, including those in North Carolina, Missouri, Georgia, and Ohio.
Vice President JD Vance converses with journalists in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Oct. 1, 2025, in Washington.Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Some individuals from the group implicated in the group dialogue have subsequently left their positions, according to Politico, encompassing Peter Giunta, former head of New York Young Republicans who also was employed by a New York assemblymember, and Joseph Maligno, a legal representative for the New York group.
As indicated by the Politico account, Giunta dispatched a communication stating “I love Hitler” and additionally crafted jokes alluding to gas chambers.
ABC News has attempted to get confirmation on the job status of both individuals but did not promptly receive a response.
New York Republican Reps. Mike Lawler and Rep. Elise Stefanik have denounced the manner of speaking, with Lawler inscribing on X that members of the New York segment who took part “should step down from any leadership role immediately.”
Alex deGrasse, a senior advisor for Stefanik, conveyed to ABC News in a declaration on Wednesday that the congresswoman was “utterly shocked” to become aware of such written communications, branding the manner of speaking as “atrocious, anti-Semitic, prejudiced, and unacceptable.”
“While none have ever been employed by Congresswoman Stefanik, if the depiction by Politico is precise, Congresswoman Stefanik appeals for any NY Young Republicans accountable for these ghastly comments within this dialogue to resign immediately,” he supplemented.
Stefanik lauded Giunta beforehand this summer for demonstrating “remarkable leadership” within the New York Young Republicans organization.
In a statement to Politico, Giunta stated: “I extend my deepest apologies to those offended by the insensitive and inexcusable language discovered within the excess of 28,000 communications of a private group dialogue that I established during my campaign to govern the Young Republicans,” Giunta informed Politico. “While I assume full responsibility, I have lacked a means of validating their precision and am profoundly apprehensive that the communication logs in question may have been deceptively doctored.”
ABC News has endeavored to contact Giunta for further elaboration.
Stefanik and others are additionally contending that such individuals were youth leaders, not elected public servants — albeit Douglass, in Vermont, is an active state senator.
The New York Young Republican Club’s emblem is pictured during their yearly gathering in New York, as seen in this Dec. 15, 2024, archived image.Adam Gray/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
Vice President JD Vance attempted to minimize the gravity of the texts and directed attention back to the resurfaced written communications of Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones.
“This is significantly worse than anything voiced in a college group dialogue, and the individual who voiced it could become the AG of Virginia,” Vance inscribed Tuesday on X, attaching a screenshot of Jones’ communications. “I refuse to partake in the pearl clutching when powerful individuals advocate for political violence.”
Jones has expressed regret for the communications that allude to a hypothetical scenario involving a Virginia Republican legislator receiving “two bullets to the head,” telling Richmond ABC station WRIC that he “sincerely and from the bottom of my heart, want to convey my remorse and my regret for what transpired and what I voiced that language has no place in our discourse, and I am so contrite for what transpired.”
Speaking on “The Charlie Kirk Show” on Wednesday, Vance persisted in defending participants in the group dialogue.
“Mature. I’m sorry, concentrate on the genuine matters. Don’t concentrate on what adolescents voice in group dialogues,” Vance stated. “But the truth is that adolescents engage in idiotic actions, notably young males. They narrate cutting-edge, offensive jokes. Like that’s what adolescents do. And I truly don’t desire us to mature in a country where an adolescent narrating a foolish joke — narrating a profoundly offensive, foolish joke — is grounds to obliterate their lives.”
Democrats have been prompt to protest against the Young Republicans’ leaked written communications.
“These are the future of the Republican Party. This was so atrocious,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul informed reporters Tuesday. “These are prejudiced, chauvinistic, sickening remarks … Oust them from the party. Eliminate their official responsibilities. Cease employing them as campaign advisers. There needs to be repercussions. This b——- has to cease.”
On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom urged Congress to scrutinize the communications.
“I’m demanding Rep. James Comer initiate a House Oversight Committee investigation into these shocking, deeply offensive communications that were exchanged by Young Republican leaders from across the country,” he inscribed on X.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
