Leaders of Young Republican groups allegedly called black people monkeys, gushed about their love of Hitler, and spoke graphically of raping their enemies and driving them to suicide, vile leaked messages show.
Kansas Young Republicans’ vice chair William Hendrix, who is white, used variations of the n-word more than a dozen times in his messages in a group chat titled “RESTOREYR WAR ROOM” on the messaging app Telegram, according to the messages obtained by Politico.
In a July thread about African Americans, he wrote, “Bro is at a chicken restaurant ordering his food. Would he like some watermelon and Kool-Aid with that?”
Texts from Bobby Walker, vice chair of the New York State Young Republicans at the time, show him describing rape as “epic.” NYSYR
Kansas Young Republicans vice chair William Hendrix, who is white, used variations of the n-word more than a dozen times in his messages on the private chat app Telegram, according to the messages obtained by Politico.
Bobby Walker, vice chair of the New York State Young Republicans at the time, also described rape as “epic” in another abhorrent exchange, the texts show.
In a vicious rant in June, the chair of New York’s Young Republicans at the time, Peter Giunta, said everyone who didn’t vote for him to become chair of the group’s National Federation would be “going to the gas chamber,” according to the report.
Walker, with Rep. Elise Stefanik, also allegedly made racist comments. Facebook / Elise Stefanik
“I’m going to create some of the greatest physiological torture methods known to man. We only want true believers,” Giunta allegedly added, prompting Joe Maligno, who was the general counsel for the New York State Young Republicans at the time, to chime in.
“Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers don’t fit the Hitler aesthetic,” Maligno allegedly joked, sparking a response from another New York young Republican.
“I’m ready to watch people burn now,” New York national committee member Annie Kaykaty allegedly wrote.
In yet another ugly exchange, Giunta reportedly said, “I love Hitler” in response to a message from the chair of the Kansas Young Republicans.
He also branded an opponent from Maryland a “fat stinky Jew,” and called Arkansas Young Republicans “inbred cow f–kers,” the leaked chats show.
Giunta also allegedly made several jokes about black people, including one in response to a question about whether he was watching an NBA playoff game.
“I’d go to the zoo if I wanted to watch monkey play ball,” Giunta responded, while elsewhere he reportedly referred to African Americans as “the watermelon people.”
The leak exposed some 2,900 pages of chats among about a dozen Young Republican group leaders from early January to mid-August this year.
Peter Giunta reportedly said, “I love Hitler” in a message. YRNF
At least one member of the group chat has since lost his job, while another had a job offer rescinded, Politico reported.
On Tuesday, the chairman of the Kansas Republican Party said that the state’s Young Republicans organization had been immediately deactivated in response to the leaks.
Former Chair Hendrix was fired from his communications job in the office of Attorney General Kris Kobach, the AG’s office announced.
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
Thanks for signing up!
“The comments in the chat are inexcusable. As soon as the office learned of those messages, Will Hendrix’s employment was terminated,” Kobach told the Kansas Reflector.
Michael Austin, chief executive of the Kansas Black Republican Council, spoke of his outrage at the comments.
“Such conduct is not merely offensive. It is a betrayal of the very principles upon which our party was founded: the defense of liberty, the abolition of slavery and the belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every human being,” Austin told the Kansas Reflector.
“These few individuals do not represent Kansas, nor do they reflect the values of Kansas Republicans,” he said.