JD Vance brushes off racist texts by adults in Republican group chat as ‘what kids do’ | JD Vance
J.D. Vance tried to downplay as youthful indiscretion the revelation that leaders of a group called Young Republicans exchanged hundreds of racist, sexist text messages, including one in which rape was called “epic” and another in which someone wrote, “I love Hitler.”
Vance speaks a new chapter The Charlie Kirk Show podcast, run by colleagues of the late conservative activist, suggested that participants in the leaked chats were much younger than they actually were. Some of the attendees are slightly younger than the 41-year-old vice president.
“The reality is that kids, especially young boys, do stupid things,” Vance said. “They tell angry, offensive jokes. That’s what kids do. And I don’t want us to grow up in a country where a kid telling a really stupid joke – telling a very offensive, stupid joke – ends up ruining their life.”
Policy months of change achieved From a Telegram conversation between leaders and members of the Young Republican National Federation and some of its affiliates in New York, Kansas, Arizona and Vermont.
Anne Jones reports Public records show that eight of the 11 Republican operatives who participated in the offensive conversation ranged in age from 24 to 35.
The revelations led to bipartisan calls for those involved to be fired or resign.
The Young Republican National Federation, the GOP’s political organization for Republicans ages 18 to 40, called on those involved to leave the organization. The group called the exchanges “unbecoming of any Republican.”
But Vance chided Democrats and the media for paying too much attention to “what a bunch of teenagers, a bunch of kids, are saying in a group chat, no matter how offensive.”
He suggested racist texts from Republicans were a distraction from offensive texts joking that Democratic candidate for Virginia attorney general Jay Jones would rather kill a Republican colleague than Hitler or Pol Pot.
Jones has since said he takes “full responsibility” for his comments and issued a public apology to Todd Gilbert, who was then speaker of the Virginia House of Representatives.
Vance expressed discomfort with Democrats’ “incredible support for political violence…people who he said allowed themselves to be distracted by focusing on what kids were saying in the group chat.”
“Grow up,” the vice president told people more concerned about racism in his own party than jokes about violence in the other party. “I’m sorry, focus on the real issues, don’t focus on what kids are saying in group chats.”
Vance said he grew up in a different era where “most of the stupid things I did in my youth and young adulthood weren’t on the internet.”
The father of three children stated that he would also warn his own children, “Especially my son, do not put anything on the internet, be careful what you write. If you put something in a group chat, think that some dirt will leak it to harm you or your family.”
“I really don’t want us to grow up in a country where a kid who makes a stupid joke, a very offensive, stupid joke, ends up ruining their lives,” Vance said.
Other Republicans demanded more immediate intervention. Republican legislative leaders in Vermont and governor Phil Scott, also a Republican, called for the resignation of state senator Sam Douglass, who was revealed to have participated in the conversation.
New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who said she was absolutely horrified to learn of the alleged comments made by leaders of the New York State Young Republicans, called on those involved to step down from their positions. Kansas GOP chairman Danedri Herbert said the remarks “do not reflect the beliefs of Republicans and certainly not the beliefs of Kansas Republicans.”
Democrats were more uniform in their condemnation. On Wednesday, California governor Gavin Newsom wrote a letter to House oversight committee chairman James Comer, demanding an investigation into “vile and offensive text messages” that he called “the definition of conduct that could create a hostile and discriminatory environment that violates civil rights laws.”
Speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday, Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York called the conversation “disgusting” and called on Republicans, including Trump and Vance, to “swiftly and unequivocally condemn these comments.”
Asked about the news, New York Governor Kathy Hochul called the exchanges “despicable” and called for sanctions against those involved.
“Kick them out of the party. Take away their official roles. Stop using them as campaign advisors,” Hochul said. “There need to be consequences. This nonsense needs to stop.”
