The leaked Young Republican chats were shocking. The MAGA response was just as important.

"A Culture of Racism: The Unspoken Truth Behind Young Republican Group Chats"

In a bombshell revelation, 2,900 pages of Telegram messages from Young Republican groups in various states have exposed a culture of spine-tingling racism, antisemitism, and misogyny. The messages, which date back to the Trump era, are shocking in their candidness, with some participants referring to Black people as "monkeys" and "watermelon people," while others fantasized about putting their political opponents in gas chambers.

The response from MAGA leaders has been telling. Vice President JD Vance's comments on a radio show, where he downplayed the severity of these messages, have sparked outrage among many. When asked to condemn the racism displayed in these group chats, Vance replied that kids often engage in "edgy" and "offensive" behavior, implying that their younger members' actions are excusable.

This response is not surprising, given the normalization of racism under Trump's presidency. The leaked messages reveal a culture where racist, antisemitic, and violent rhetoric circulate freely, making it seem less taboo among those positioning themselves as the party's next leaders. This phenomenon was first highlighted in an article I wrote last August, which questioned why leaders in right-of-center media and politics keep promoting bigotry.

The revelation has also raised questions about the role of well-connected young Republican leaders in perpetuating this culture. Several individuals have been exposed for their past racist or antisemitic comments, yet they continue to thrive in the party. The recent example of Richard Hanania, who wrote for a notorious alt-right blog before disavowing his past writings, highlights the ease with which politicians can shed their past controversies.

The problem runs deeper than just individual leaders, though. The normalization of racism has seeped into mainstream conservative discourse, with some pundits and influencers downplaying or denying the severity of these messages. This is exemplified in the ongoing feud between Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson over Carlson's increasing use of antisemitic tropes.

The Supreme Court's recent hints at chipping away at the Voting Rights Act have only added fuel to this fire. As the court seems increasingly uncomfortable with discussions of race, it's clear that a culture of racism is not just limited to fringe elements but has become entrenched within the MAGA movement. The normalization of bigotry under Trump's presidency has created an environment where racist rhetoric can be normalized and even celebrated.

The bottom line is that racism is part and parcel of the MAGA movement. While not every Trump voter or supporter is racist, it's clear that the party's leadership has failed to condemn this behavior unequivocally. Instead, they have chosen to downplay or deny its severity, often conflating their own bigotry with that of "woke" leftists.

The consequences of this normalization are dire. As our country continues to grapple with issues of racial inequality and social justice, it's imperative that we recognize the role racism plays in perpetuating these problems. We need leaders who will confront and condemn bigotry head-on, rather than using it as a tool for division or distraction.

Racism is like a bad habit that's hard to break . The more people talk about how "acceptable" it is, the more normal it becomes . We need leaders who can speak truth to power and call out racism when they see it . Can't we just have a conversation without resorting to hate speech?

[Diagram of a circle with a big X marked through it]

Racism is not okay, no matter what you call it .

Here's an ASCII art representation of the problem:
```
+---------------+
Racism | Normalization |
(bigotry) |
+---------------+
| |
Mainstream | Media Influencers |
Discourse |
| |
+---------------+
| |
Supreme | Voting Rights |
Court | Act
| |
+---------------+
```
We need to break this cycle!

omg u guys i just saw the craziest thing about JD Vance saying those racist messages were "edgy" and stuff but like come on dude he's literally normalizing racism and idk how else to say it but these messages are straight up terrifying they're talking about putting ppl in gas chambers and calling black ppl monkeys lol no wonder the republicans have been struggling to connect with the younger generation

and btw i was saying this like 4 months ago in my last post on tiktok about how the right is just pretending like racism isn't a thing anymore but now it's all out there and it's like woah what's next? are they gonna start promoting antisemitism too?

i'm so done with these people trying to downplay or deny the severity of these messages like what's wrong with you guys? can't you just acknowledge that racism is real and hurtful?

lol i know right? this is some messed up stuff. like what's next? are they gonna start making "racist watermelon" memes on the white house lawn but seriously though... JD Vance needs to do better than just downplaying these messages and acting like his kids are just being edgy. that's not a thing, bro. if your kids were saying racist stuff, you'd be like "nope, i don't want my kid spreading hate"

and what's up with the whole "Trump era" vibe? do people really think that's okay? that racist and antisemitic stuff is just fine because it came out during his presidency? like no, dude. that's not an excuse for bigotry.

i'm glad someone brought this to light though. we need more conversations like this one to expose the culture of racism in the MAGA movement. and btw... has anyone else noticed how Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson are like two peas in a pod when it comes to spreading antisemitic tropes?

this is so messed up , it's like they're trying to erase all sense of humanity from the party... the fact that JD Vance can downplay these messages like they're no big deal is just mind-blowing , what kind of leaders are we voting for? and honestly, I'm not surprised - this culture of racism has been around for ages, but Trump's presidency was like a superpower amplifier for it ... now we need to hold our politicians accountable for their words and actions , can't let them just sweep this stuff under the rug anymore .

I'm low-key appalled by the fact that some Young Reps are still spewing this toxic crap 2k pages of racist and antisemitic messages is not okay at all And JD Vance's response is straight-up cringeworthy How can he downplay this stuff like it's no big deal? The normalization of racism under Trump's prez is what's really concerning

this is so concerning i feel like we're really losing ground on issues of equality and fairness the fact that some people still think its okay to use racist language and make hurtful comments is just heartbreaking what's even more disturbing is that these same people are trying to downplay or deny the severity of their words, it's like they think they can just sweep racism under the rug and move on it's time for us to stand up and say that this kind of behavior is never okay

it's absolutely appalling what these group chats are saying... 2k pages of messages that show how racist and antisemitic ppl in the MAGA movement r, but instead of just calling them out, they're downplaying it like Vance did . It's not like he was born yesterday, ppl knew better back in '16 when Trump was running. And what's even more disturbing is how normalized this stuff has become... it's like a culture thing now where racist comments r just shrugged off as "edgy" behavior . We need leaders who will take a strong stance against bigotry, not ones who try to downplay or justify it .

I'm so appalled by what I just read those messages from Young Republican groups are disgusting. It's not surprising that some people try to downplay it or blame the "woke" leftists for their own racist and antisemitic views, it's like they think they're above accountability . And the fact that VP JD Vance is trying to make excuses for his party's racism is just laughable . I mean, come on, kids can't just get away with saying hurtful stuff because they're "edgy" or whatever nonsense they're spouting.

The thing is, this isn't a new phenomenon. We've been seeing this kind of racism and bigotry creep into mainstream conservative discourse for years now . And it's not just the politicians themselves, it's the whole culture that's being perpetuated by influencers and pundits like Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson. They're like, "Hey, let's normalize racist tropes and see how far we can push this!" .

I think what's really scary is that some people are actually buying into this crap . Like, they're willing to ignore the evidence of racism because it makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened . That's not how we solve problems, that's just more of the same toxic mess we're in right now .

We need leaders who can speak out against racism and bigotry, not ones who are just going to downplay it or blame others for their own failures . We need people who are willing to have tough conversations about these issues and actually do something about them . Anything less is just not good enough

u can believe how messed up this is! these messages are straight outta a nightmare and its crazy that ppl r still trying to downplay it like Vance said kids say stuff they dont mean, but thats not the point the point is its racist and antisemitic and violent and its not just a few rogue individuals, its a culture within these groups where this kind of talk is accepted as normal

and another thing, why should ppl be held to a higher standard just bc they have a different opinion? cant we just call out bigotry when we see it, without making excuses for it? the fact that Vance and others are trying to do that is what's so infuriating

and yeah, this normalization of racism under trump was a huge problem and its only getting worse with the supreme court pushing to limit voting rights like, how can we even have a functioning democracy if ppl are just gonna ignore racism and inequality?