New York State's young Republican chapter has been temporarily suspended following a damning exposé that revealed a private group chat between GOP operatives and party members who shared racist, misogynistic, and anti-Semitic comments.
The controversy erupted when Politico obtained screenshots of a closed WhatsApp group, in which several New York state Republicans discussed the virtues of rape, slavery, and Adolf Hitler's atrocities against Jews. The group also included messages from Peter Giunta, the chapter's former leader, who referred to African Americans as "watermelon people" and fantasized about putting opponents in gas chambers.
Annie Kaykaty, another NYSYR member, chimed in on the chat by stating she was ready to watch her political opponents burn. The comments were described as vile and unacceptable by party leaders.
In response, New York's Republican committee announced that they had voted unanimously to suspend the chapter's authorization to operate at a state level. While it remains to be seen whether the group will be reconstituted in the future, Ed Cox, chair of the NYGOP, stated unequivocally that such behavior has no place in their party or its affiliated organizations.
Vice President JD Vance sparked controversy by downplaying the seriousness of the situation, describing outrage as "pearl clutching" and suggesting that those peddling vile language are simply making "stupid jokes." His comments drew widespread criticism for trivializing the severity of hate speech and inciting violence against minority groups.
As a result of the leaked group chat, several members have lost job opportunities. While some chapters of the Arizona Young Republicans have resisted calls for resignation, it appears that New York's suspension is one of the more severe responses to date.
The controversy erupted when Politico obtained screenshots of a closed WhatsApp group, in which several New York state Republicans discussed the virtues of rape, slavery, and Adolf Hitler's atrocities against Jews. The group also included messages from Peter Giunta, the chapter's former leader, who referred to African Americans as "watermelon people" and fantasized about putting opponents in gas chambers.
Annie Kaykaty, another NYSYR member, chimed in on the chat by stating she was ready to watch her political opponents burn. The comments were described as vile and unacceptable by party leaders.
In response, New York's Republican committee announced that they had voted unanimously to suspend the chapter's authorization to operate at a state level. While it remains to be seen whether the group will be reconstituted in the future, Ed Cox, chair of the NYGOP, stated unequivocally that such behavior has no place in their party or its affiliated organizations.
Vice President JD Vance sparked controversy by downplaying the seriousness of the situation, describing outrage as "pearl clutching" and suggesting that those peddling vile language are simply making "stupid jokes." His comments drew widespread criticism for trivializing the severity of hate speech and inciting violence against minority groups.
As a result of the leaked group chat, several members have lost job opportunities. While some chapters of the Arizona Young Republicans have resisted calls for resignation, it appears that New York's suspension is one of the more severe responses to date.
... I'm not surprised the NY GOP suspended their chapter tho, who wants to be associated with that kind of hate? The fact that they didn't shut it down sooner is just a huge fail on their part 
. And JD Vance's response? Are you kidding me?! "Pearl clutching" and "stupid jokes"? That's just laughable 
... he should be the one being called out for his lack of understanding and empathy. The fact that people lost jobs over this is a good reminder that hate speech has consequences 
. Anyway, I'm glad the NY chapter got suspended, but what about all the other chapters in trouble? How long will it take for them to realize they need to change their ways too? 
! I'm not surprised, though - we've seen this stuff before, unfortunately 
. It's like, how can you be part of a party that claims to be about unity and equality when you're spewing hate speech? 
, the fact that Vice President JD Vance is downplaying the severity of it all is just, wow 
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No way! We need to call out the BS when we see it 
. I'm not surprised more people aren't speaking out against him, but it's good to see the NYGOP taking a stand against this kind of toxic behavior 
. I don't get why people still make excuses for this kinda behavior, especially from someone in a position of power like JD Vance 
. Newsflash: vile comments aren't funny or jokes 
What's even more disturbing is that someone as high up as JD Vance downplays it and says it's just "stupid jokes"... 
... shouldn't be hard for a party like theirs to distance themselves from this kind of crap 
it's wild that the NYSYR's suspension was so swift, i guess NY GOP Chair Ed Cox knew what he was doing 
. and let's not forget, this isn't the first time we've seen hate speech from young Republicans... like, when are they gonna learn? 
. And what's with the WhatsApp group being private? Like, come on, guys! If you're going to spew that kind of vitriol, at least have the decency to do it in a public forum where we can actually hold you accountable 
. And yeah, losing jobs over this stuff is exactly what should happen... no free pass for hate speech 
. I'm not surprised they're trying to sweep it under the rug now that the whole thing's been exposed. Vice President Vance is just being his usual ignorant self, downplaying the severity of hate speech like it's no big deal 
this is like, so not what I want to see in my country anymore... a group chat with racist and misogynistic comments? Like, how can you even be part of something like that without speaking up? The fact that someone actually fantasized about putting people in gas chambers is just wild 
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But like, what's next? Are they gonna let this kind of toxic behavior spread throughout the party? 