California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) called on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to investigate the racist and xenophobic text messages reportedly shared by leaders with the Young Republican National Federation.
“Calling for gas chambers. Expressing love for Hitler. Endorsing rape. Using racist slurs,” Newsom wrote in a post shared on the social media site X.
Newsom called on committee chair Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) to open a probe “into these shocking, deeply offensive messages that were exchanged by Young Republican leaders from across the country.”
The California governor also took a swipe at Vice President JD Vance, who downplayed the text messages both on X and on “The Charlie Kirk Show” on Wednesday.
“The Vice President of the United States will not unequivocally condemn Young Republicans for saying that their perceived political opponents should be sent to gas chambers,” Newsom wrote. “A window into @JDVance’s disgraceful character.”
Newsom follows New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in condemning the group chat and calling for action. Hochul said during at a press conference on Wednesday that the leaders named in Politico’s story about the texts must face consequences.
“Kick them out of the party,” she said. “Take away their official roles. Stop using them as campaign advisers. There needs to be consequences. This bulls‑‑‑ has to stop.”
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) called on one state senator, who Politico reported was a member of one of the Young Republicans chats, to resign.
Vance had compared the messages to a screenshot of a text conversation in which Virginia Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones openly talked about violence toward the former Republican state House Speaker and acknowledged he hoped his children would die.
Jones’s texts were “1,000 times worse than what a bunch of young people, a bunch of kids, say in a group chat. And that’s just reality,” Vance said on “The Charlie Kirk Show.” The Young Republicans leaders’ messages were “edgy, offensive jokes,” he added.
“We’re not canceling kids because they said something stupid in a group chat,” Vance said.
Messages sent by members of the Young Republicans referred to Black people as “the watermelon people,” while other messages suggested putting political rivals in gas chambers. One message called rape “epic.” Others used variations of the N-word.
One exchange involved a promise that the group “will vote for the most right wing person” to lead the organization’s national board. The response, “I love Hitler,” was met with a smiley face reaction.
The Young Republican National Federation’s board of directors has called on these group leaders and members to resign in connection with the messages.
“We are appalled by the vile and inexcusable language revealed in the Politico article published today,” the Young Republicans’ board said Tuesday in a post on Instagram. “Such behavior is disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents.”
