After racist and anti-Semitic messages from a New York Young Republicans discussion group have been disclosed On Wednesday, state GOP leaders moved quickly to pull the plug, vote for dissolution the group on Friday.
The decision follows the revelations that young Republican leaders across the country exchanged grotesque messages, including jokes about rape, gas chambers and Hitler. And several of the New York members involved were not fringe players but high-ranking figures, including President Peter Giunta and Vice President Bobby Walker.
The consequences were immediate. Giunta lost his job as chief of staff to State Rep. Mike Reilly, while Walker had his offer to manage a canceled congressional campaign. Both men apologized but questioned if the chat has been modified.
“The Young Republicans have already been grossly mismanaged, and vile remarks like those made in the group discussions have no place in our party or its subsidiary organizations,” New York GOP Chairman Ed Cox told Politico.
Other leaders have signaled that the group’s dissolution creates an opportunity for a fresh start. By eliminating the chapter charter, officials can reconstitute it under new leadership.
But the problems didn’t start with the leaks. The chapter had been prey by infighting and financial mismanagement for months, missing declarations and an accumulation of unpaid bills.
News day first reported considered dissolving it, which was followed by Kansas Republicans.
The scandal drew swift, bipartisan condemnation.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, criticized Republican leaders for their silence, particularly Vice President JD Vance, who I deleted the messages as “stupid” jokes made by “kids”, even though the people participating in the chat were between 24 and 35 years old.
“Anti-Semitism is a real problem. Political violence is a real problem. Racism is a real problem,” she said. written the. “The incessant backhanded apologies are bullshit. Everyone from the president on down must forcefully condemn this.”
Similarly, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Republicans for selective outrage.
“Too many Republican leaders seem willing to launch violent rhetoric only when it comes from the other side. But these same Republicans never seem willing to denounce it when it comes from their own ranks, and that’s dangerous,” he said. said in a statement. “Violent political rhetoric is an attack on everyone. »
Even some New York Republicans spoke out.
Representatives Elise Stefanik and Mike Lawler denounced the conversation, although Stefanik described later the Politico story as a “hit piece.” And the National Federation of Young Republicans called the messages “despicable and inexcusable”, demanding that anyone involved resign from their position.
Helmsman sent a formal notice to the national federation, praising Republican “responsibility” while attacking Democrats.
“Unlike the Democratic Party, which embraces anti-Semitic rhetoric and refuses to condemn leaders who call for political violence, Republicans are accountable by immediately removing from office those who use this kind of rhetoric,” he wrote.
And the story behind the leak only added to the drama.
According to The daily beastGavin Wax, a State Department official and former president of the Young Republicans of New York, is suspected of obtaining and leaking the messages amid a personal feud with Giunta. The tensions reportedly stem from a photo op gone wrong with President Donald Trump in 2024.
Wax has denied any involvement, and some sources told Politico that the leak came from multiple people, not just one.
Whatever the origin, the messages are spread and the consequences are real. The state chapter has disappeared, the leaders dismantled and the members involved deprived of jobs and power. The conclusion is straightforward: hatred has consequences. These Republicans screwed up and found out – losing their positions and what little credibility they had left.
For once, the Republican Party actually held its own accountable, letting them deal with the ruins they created.
