'Missouri doesn’t like f****ts': Leaked Young Republicans Chat
Thousands of private messages exchanged between Young Republican leaders across four states have been leaked to Politico, revealing a pattern of racist, antisemitic, and misogynistic language that has prompted widespread condemnation from Republican officials and resulted in multiple firings and calls for resignation.
The Telegram chat, titled “Restore YR War Room,” spanned seven months from January to August 2025 and included leaders from Young Republican chapters in New York, Kansas, Arizona, and Vermont. The messages contained hundreds of instances of hate speech, with participants using racial slurs, joking about gas chambers, discussing rape and violence against political opponents, and expressing support for slavery.
Key Figures and Content
Peter Giunta, who served as chair of the New York State Young Republicans and chief of staff to Staten Island Assemblymember Mike Reilly, was identified as “the most prominent voice in the chat spreading racist messages”. In one exchange, after being told that Michigan Young Republicans would support “the most right wing person” to lead the Young Republican National Federation, Giunta responded, “Great. I love Hitler”.
In other messages, Giunta wrote, “If your pilot is a she and she looks ten shades darker than someone from Sicily, just end it there. Scream the no no word”. When asked if New Yorkers in the chat were watching an NBA playoff game, he allegedly replied, “I’d go to the zoo if I wanted to watch monkey play ball”. He also referred to Black people as “the watermelon people”.
Regarding states that were not supporting his candidacy for national leadership, Giunta allegedly wrote: “Minnesota – f****ts. Arkansas – inbred cow f**kers. Nebraska – revolt in our favor; blocked their bind and have a majority of their delegates. Maryland – fat stinky Jew … Rhode Island – traitorous c***s who I will eradicate from the face of this planet”.
Bobby Walker, who was vice chair of the New York State Young Republicans at the time and now leads the organization, referred to rape as “epic” in the messages. Walker also allegedly discussed mishandling the organization’s finances.
William Hendrix, vice chair of the Kansas Young Republicans, used racial slurs for Black people more than a dozen times, according to the report.
Samuel Douglass, a first-term Republican state senator from Vermont’s Orleans County, participated in the chat along with his wife, using racist and antisemitic language.
The leaked messages also included references to putting political opponents in gas chambers and discussions of violent acts. In one message about a Young Republican election, Giunta wrote, “everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber”. Chat participants used slurs including variations of the n-word, the f-slur, and “retarded” more than 251 times combined.
Political Fallout
The revelations have sparked swift responses from Republican officials across multiple states. Vermont Governor Phil Scott called for Douglass’s resignation, stating, “The hateful statements made in this group chat are disgusting and unacceptable. The vile, racist, bigoted, and antisemitic dialogue that has been reported is deeply disturbing. There is simply no excuse for it. Those involved should resign from their roles immediately and leave the Republican party – including Vermont State Senator Sam Douglass”.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul condemned the messages while speaking with reporters: “These are racist, sexist, disgusting remarks. We have a leader from the Republican Party in this state, the highest ranking individual who, in the backdrop of all this, calls one of our candidates for mayor, a jihadist and a terrorist, and then somehow says, ‘Oh, what they said, these young Republicans, was wrong. Look at what you say yourself’”. Hochul concluded her remarks by stating, “This bullshit has to stop”.
Representative Elise Stefanik, who previously called the New York State Young Republicans “the backbone of our party,” denounced the chat through a spokesperson who labeled the comments as “heinous, antisemitic, racist, and unacceptable”.
New York State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt called for those involved to resign, stating he was “shocked and disgusted” by the “racist, anti-Semitic, and misogynistic remarks.” He added, “This behavior is reprehensible and has no place in our party or anywhere in public life”.
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, told Politico: “The leadership of the Republican Party needs to really take a look in the mirror at what they are cultivating among this next generation”.
“The Vermont GOP must address and reject the largely covert network of hatred that binds them to racist and white nationalist elements nationwide.”
— Senate President Pro Tem Phil Baruth
Consequences and Responses
Multiple individuals have faced professional consequences following the leak. Giunta was fired from his position as chief of staff to Assemblymember Mike Reilly. In a statement, Reilly said: “The comments shared in the group chat that have been reported are extremely troubling and disappointing. They do not align with my values. As a result, Mr. Giunta’s assignment in my office has ended”.
Hendrix was terminated from his role as a communications assistant for Republican Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, who called Hendrix’s comments “inexcusable”.
Danedri Herbert, chair of the Kansas GOP, who is Black, stated: “Kansas Republican Party leadership is disgusted by the comments by young Kansas Republicans. Their comments do not reflect the beliefs of Republicans and certainly not of Kansas Republicans at large, who elected a black chair a few months ago. Republicans believe that all people are created in the image of God”. Herbert announced that the Kansas Young Republicans organization is now inactive as of Tuesday.
The Young Republican National Federation’s board of directors issued a statement condemning the messages: “We are appalled by the vile and inexcusable language revealed in the Politico article published today. Such behavior is disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents. Those involved must immediately resign from all positions within their state and local Young Republican organizations. We must hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity, respect, and professionalism”.
The New York Young Republican Club, described as “a separate, city-based group that is at odds with the state organization,” issued its own statement: “The New York Young Republican Club (NYYRC) forcefully condemns messages reported by POLITICO to have been shared by the New York State Young Republicans (NYSYR). Today, we stand at starker odds than ever with the NYSYR’s prior leadership team. Neither Peter Giunta nor Bobby Walker have ever held any leadership position in the New York Young Republican Club”.
Liz Joy, Chairwoman of the Schenectady County GOP, stated: “I want to be crystal clear, anyone who degrades or bullies’ others in a similar way to Mr. Walker will find themselves off our committee and out of any leadership position. We have a zero-tolerance policy for that behavior”.
Responses from Those Named
Walker told Politico he believes parts of the chat “may have been altered, taken out of context, or otherwise manipulated” and that the “private exchanges were obtained and released in a way clearly intended to inflict harm”. However, he issued an apology: “There is no excuse for the language and tone in messages attributed to me. The language is wrong and hurtful, and I sincerely apologize. This has been a painful lesson about judgment and trust, and I am committed to moving forward with greater care, respect, and accountability in everything I say and do”.
Giunta released a statement accepting “full responsibility” while claiming he could not confirm the authenticity of the messages. He characterized the situation as a “coordinated” character assassination and suggested the logs were “obtained through extortion by individuals conspiring against him”. In his defense, Giunta raised concerns about the possibility of messages being “deceptively doctored”.
At one point in the chat, participants themselves acknowledged the potential consequences of a leak. One message read: “IF WE EVER HAD A LEAK OF THIS CHAT WE WOULD BE COOKED”.
Background
The scandal adds to previous controversies surrounding the New York State Young Republicans. In September 2025, Giunta resigned from leadership after the organization failed to pay a more-than-$14,000 bill for a Christmas party held in December 2023 and missed filing at least three state-required financial disclosure forms.
The Young Republican National Federation is a national organization for GOP members aged 18 to 40. The leaked chat involved leaders who were vying for control of the organization’s national leadership.
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“Kansas Young Republicans now inactive after racist chat messages get exposed.” 2025. KCUR, October 13, 2025. https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-10-14/kansas-young-republicans-group-now-inactive-after-racist-chat-messages-get-exposed.
Ngo, Emily. 2025. “’I love Hitler’: NY GOP caught up in racist chats.” Politico New York Playbook PM, October 14, 2025. https://www.politico.com/newsletters/new-york-playbook-pm/2025/10/14/i-love-hitler-ny-gop-caught-up-in-racist-chats-00607906.
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“Young GOP Leader exposed in reported ‘racist’ chats from Schenectady Co., says Chairwoman.” 2025. CBS6 Albany, October 13, 2025. https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/young-gop-leader-exposed-in-reported-racist-chats-from-schenectady-co-says-chairwoman.
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