MaddowBlog-JD Vance tries to downplay leak of disgusting Young Republican chats

[LetMyPeopleVote]

For the vice president to suggest it’s “pearl clutching” to condemn those who were part of a racist group chat says a great deal about his judgment.

The leaked chats between Young Republican leaders were obviously disgusting.

JD Vance’s efforts to downplay the scandal and complain about “pearl clutching” made an awful story worse. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-10-15T15:24:41.163Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/jd-vance-tries-downplay-leak-disgusting-young-republican-chats-rcna237752

Politico obtained 2,900 pages of chats between leaders of Young Republicans groups, and the contents offer a timely reminder about the kind of systemic problems the party should want to address. From the article:

Leaders of Young Republican groups throughout the country worried what would happen if their Telegram chat ever got leaked, but they kept typing anyway. They referred to Black people as monkeys and ‘the watermelon people’ and mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers. They talked about raping their enemies and driving them to suicide and lauded Republicans who they believed support slavery.

Politico added that members of the group chat (which has not been independently verified by MSNBC) “spoke freely” about, among other things, “the love of Nazis within their party’s right wing.”....

Common sense and common decency might suggest that prominent GOP leaders would rush to condemn the disgusting texts categorically and to make clear that the party will not tolerate such repulsive garbage. Indeed, it’s only fair to note that some Republicans did exactly that after the Politico report was published.

But JD Vance apparently had a different response in mind.....

In other words, confronted with Republican texts that were racist and violent — complete with references to gas chambers — Vance’s first instinct wasn't to condemn those responsible for those messages; his first instinct was to downplay the scandal and go after a Democrat.

To the extent that anyone might be persuaded by the Ohio Republican’s unfortunate attempt at clumsy and unnecessary spin, it’s worth emphasizing that Politico’s report was about more than “a college group chat.” The participants in question weren’t just random teens popping off between classes: Some of these Republicans are in their 30s and are currently working for elected officials, ostensibly serving the public. One, Samuel Douglass of Vermont, is even a sitting state senator. (The state’s Republican governor, Phil Scott, wasted little time in calling for Douglass’ resignation.)

For Vance to suggest it’s “pearl clutching” to condemn those who were part of this group chat says a great deal about the vice president’s judgment.

[viva la]

1. HE's the one who was saying people who criticized Charlie Kirk should be fired.

But it's just "young boys being boys" (The boys being over 30 some of them) when they praise Hitler and refer to NBA players as "monkeys". Of course, Vance himself called Trump Hitler 10 years ago, so maybe he thought they were praising Trump.

(I just would love to see a few NBA players offer to meet some of these pasty Nazi-simps on a basketball court. Why is it they think they can pretend to be genetically superior to... world-class athletes?????)

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. MaddowBlog-JD Vance doubles down, pushes ridiculous defense of racist Republican group chat

Last edited Fri Oct 17, 2025, 10:07 AM - Edit history (1)

The vice president’s initial rhetoric about a disgusting GOP group chat was misguided. His follow-up remarks made matters far worse.

As JD Vance describes the Republican members of a racist group chat as “kids” and “young boys,” consider:

One of the participants is 35.

When Vance launched his Senate campaign, he was 36. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-10-16T17:01:46.672Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/jd-vance-doubles-pushes-ridiculous-defense-racist-republican-group-cha-rcna238010

On Tuesday night, just hours after the Politico report was first published, the vice president wrote via social media that this was merely “a college group chat,” adding that he refused to “join the pearl clutching.”

A day later, the Ohio Republican elaborated on his perspective while again downplaying the significance of the story. Vance said on a conservative podcast:

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

.

While continuing to refer to the group chat’s participants as “kids,” the vice president added that, as far as he’s concerned, this isn’t a “real” issue.

Vance on public outrage over the "I love Hitler" group chat: "Grow up! Focus on the real issues. Don't focus on what kids say in group chats... The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys — they tell edgy, offensive jokes. That's what kids do."

— The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com) 2025-10-15T18:56:47.333Z

So, a few things.

First, the idea that those responsible for racist, antisemitic and homophobic content, including comments about gas chambers, slavery and rape, were “young boys” and “kids” is factually wrong. The Republicans in question were adults. Some are in their 30s.....

Second, if Vance believes comments about rape and gas chambers are “edgy,” he probably ought to reassess his cultural standards.

Third, we’re not just talking about a group of teens who fired off a dumb text on the quad between classes. Some of these Republican adults are currently working for elected officials, ostensibly serving the public. One, Samuel Douglass of Vermont, is even a sitting state senator.

Fourth, Vance might not see systemic Republican bigotry as a “real” issue, but that says more about the vice president than it does about those taking the controversy seriously.

Stepping back, it would’ve been incredibly easy for Vance to simply say, “Bigotry has no place in this party.” But for reasons he hasn’t explained, the vice president, almost exactly a year after peddling a racist conspiracy theory, refused this incredibly obvious course.

[skypilot]

3. "...says a great deal about his judgement."???

No, it says a great deal about what a thoroughly awful and loathsome POS he is. His "judgment" is the very least of it.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. Vance says young Republicans accused of racism shouldn't have their lives 'ruined

The vice president contrasted offensive remarks in a private group chat with texts from a Democratic candidate in Virginia who had suggested a top Republican be killed.

While MAGA continues to vax people for free speech..

Vance says young Republicans accused of racism shouldn't have their lives 'ruined'

www.nbcnews.com/news/rcna237...

— Angry Donkey News (@angrydonkeynews.bsky.social) 2025-10-17T15:17:30.762Z

Vice President JD Vance has come to the defense of young Republican leaders who are under scrutiny after Politico published “hundreds of racist and hateful messages” from what it reported was their private group chat.

The “reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys,” Vance said Wednesday in an appearance on “The Charlie Kirk Show,” the podcast launched by the recently assassinated conservative activist who was a close ally of Vance and President Donald Trump.

“They tell edgy, offensive jokes, like, that’s what kids do,” Vance continued. “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. And at some point we’re all going to have to say enough of this BS, we’re not going to allow the worst moment in a 21-year-old’s group chat to ruin a kid’s life for the rest of time. That’s just not OK.”

The messages, which were sent through the Telegram app and obtained by Politico, reportedly included racial slurs about Black and Latino people, praise of Adolf Hitler and jokes about sending opponents to gas chambers. NBC News has not independently verified the authenticity of the messages, which some members have apologized for while also suggesting the messages may have been altered.

At least three of the leaders who participated in the group chat no longer have the public jobs they had before Politico began its reporting, according to the news outlet. A fourth was not hired to work on a congressional campaign as had been planned. There has been an outcry for others involved to face consequences, as well.