Vice President JD Vance is brushing off outrage over reports of violent, hateful and anti-Semitic messages allegedly exchanged among members of the Young Republican National Federation, calling the reaction “pearl clutching.”
On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Politico published a detailed report containing thousands of private messages said to be sent between members of the conservative youth group on Telegram. The conversations allegedly included racist slurs referring to Black people as “monkeys” and “watermelon people,” along with offensive jokes about the Holocaust, rape, and suicide.
In response, Vance shared a screenshot from Jay Jones, a lawyer and Democratic candidate for Virginia attorney general, who has recently made headlines for a controversial text exchange with Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner.
In that conversation, Jones appeared to advocate violence against then–Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, his wife, Jennifer, and their children. Coyner pushed back, saying she was uncomfortable with Jones “talking about [hoping] Jennifer Gilbert’s children would die.”
Jones allegedly replied, “Yes, I’ve told you this before. Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.”
Sharing the screenshot, Vance wrote, “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.”
During an appearance on The Charlie Kirk Show on Oct. 15, Vance doubled down, saying, “The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys. They tell edgy, offensive jokes. That’s what kids do. And I really don’t want us to grow up in a country where a kid telling a stupid joke — telling a very offensive, stupid joke — is cause to ruin their lives.”
The texts published by Politico were allegedly exchanged between members of Young Republican chapters in New York, Arizona, Kansas and Vermont. The organization describes itself as “the oldest political youth organization in the United States” and “the premier Republican youth organization,” with members aged 18 to 40 and chapters across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Politico identified several members allegedly involved, including Peter Giunta, the former chair of the New York State Young Republicans, and Bobby Walker, the group’s vice chair. According to the report, Walker allegedly described rape as “epic,” while Giunta made a crude remark referencing “gas chambers.”
Giunta told Politico that the messages were “sourced by way of extortion” but apologized for the “insensitive and inexcusable language.” He also claimed the message logs “may have been deceptively doctored.”
Following the report, Giunta was fired from his role as chief of staff for Assembly Member Mike Reilly, who told SILive, “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.”
Walker also apologized but said he believed portions of the messages “may have been altered, taken out of context, or otherwise manipulated.” He added, “There is no excuse for the language and tone in messages attributed to me. The language is wrong and hurtful, and I sincerely apologize. This has been a painful lesson about judgment and trust, and I am committed to moving forward with greater care, respect, and accountability in everything I say and do.”
The Young Republican National Federation’s board of directors condemned the messages in a Facebook statement, writing, “We are appalled by the vile and inexcusable language revealed in the Politico article published today. Such behavior is disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents.”
The board also called for those involved to “immediately resign from all positions within their state and local Young Republican organizations,” adding, “We must hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity, respect, and professionalism.”
Vance’s comments came just hours after the U.S. State Department announced it had revoked the visas of six people over social media posts celebrating the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), the department said the individuals — from Argentina, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Germany and Paraguay — made comments mocking Kirk’s death. One wrote they didn’t “give a f—” about his killing, while another said he “died being a racist, he died being a misogynist.”
“The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans,” the department stated. “The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
