Trump Presidency
‘I Love Hitler’: Leaked Messages Expose Young Republicans’ Racist, Antisemitic Chat
The messages also mocked Black Americans as “monkeys” and “watermelon people,” targeted LGBTQ individuals with slurs, and made racist comments about Asians and Indians.
A shocking leak of thousands of private Telegram messages has exposed an underground network of Young Republican leaders trading racist, antisemitic, and violent jokes — including references to Hitler, gas chambers, slavery, and rape. The messages, published in an explosive Politico investigation, reveal how rising GOP operatives across New York, Kansas, Vermont, and Arizona joked about murdering political opponents and expressed open admiration for Nazis.
The revelations have triggered national outrage, condemnations from senior Republicans, and at least one resignation call from Vermont Governor Phil Scott, who demanded that state senator Sam Douglass step down immediately. “The vile, racist, bigoted, and antisemitic dialogue that has been reported is deeply disturbing. There is simply no excuse for it,” Gov. Scott said in a statement. “Those involved should resign from their roles immediately and leave the Republican Party.”
“Everyone Who Votes No Goes to the Gas Chamber”
The leaked Young Republican leaders Telegram group, titled “RESTOREYR WAR ROOM,” included state and national officers of the Young Republican National Federation (YRNF) — a 15,000-member organisation representing conservatives aged 18 to 40.
In the messages, New York Young Republicans chair Peter Giunta repeatedly used slurs and wrote, “Everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber.” Another leader, Bobby Walker, called rape “epic.” Others joked about burning people alive and fixing gas chambers to fit the “Hitler aesthetic.”
In one exchange, Giunta replied to a colleague’s message about support from a right-wing Michigan delegate by writing, “Great. I love Hitler 😁.”
Another member, Annie Kaykaty, said, “I’m ready to watch people burn now,” while Joe Maligno, a lawyer for the New York group, joked about showers and executions.
The messages also mocked Black Americans as “monkeys” and “watermelon people,” targeted LGBTQ individuals with slurs, and made racist comments about Asians and Indians.
Politico Reported The Young Republican Leaked Chat
Fallout and Political Repercussions
The 2,900 pages of messages, covering a seven-month span, show an unfiltered picture of racism and extremism among young conservatives seeking power in the Trump-era GOP.
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Since Politico’s report, several figures named in the chat have lost jobs or had offers rescinded. William Hendrix was fired from the Kansas Attorney General’s office, and others are facing pressure from Republican officials to resign.
Even top GOP allies like Rep. Elise Stefanik and Roger Stone — both of whom had previously praised Giunta — have condemned the rhetoric as “heinous” and “unacceptable.”
Peter Giunta, meanwhile, issued a partial apology, calling the language “insensitive and inexcusable,” but also claimed the chats might have been “doctored.”
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White Supremacist Symbols and Trump Ties
The messages included references to the white supremacist code “1488,” shorthand for the “14 words” slogan and “Heil Hitler.”
Some members boasted about pursuing a Donald Trump endorsement for internal Young Republican elections. One wrote that Trump was “too busy burning the Epstein files.” A White House spokesperson told Politico that the administration had no affiliation with the group.
Experts say the chats reveal a generation radicalized by online extremism and normalized hate. “You say it once or twice, it’s a joke,” said Art Jipson, a professor at the University of Dayton. “But you say it 251 times — it’s no longer a joke.”
