{"id":3652,"date":"2025-10-15T16:36:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T16:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/3652\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T16:36:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T16:36:10","slug":"new-york-pols-go-on-attack-over-young-republicans-text-chats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/3652\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Pols Go on Attack Over Young Republicans Text Chats"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n Photo: Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images\n <\/p>\n

The revelation of a group chat<\/a> among prominent leaders of Young Republicans groups that overflowed with racial slurs, Hitler references, and other unsavory material prompted swift condemnation on both sides of the aisle and the loss of jobs for many of those named in the texts.<\/p>\n

The existence of the Telegram messages, first reported by Politico<\/a>, also sparked a war of words between elected officials in New York as Democrats and Republicans sought to blame the other party for the coarsening of political discourse.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, Governor Kathy Hochul<\/a> was asked about the messages, which involved \u2014 among many others \u2014 members of the New York State Young Republicans organization. Hochul denounced the comments as \u201cvile\u201d and sought to draw a connection to Republican representative Elise Stefanik<\/a>, who may challenge Hochul for the governorship next year, suggesting her past rhetoric had set a poor example for rising members of her party.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aWe have a leader from the Republican Party in this state \u2014 the highest-ranking individual \u2014 who in the backdrop of all this calls our candidate for mayor, one of our candidates for mayor, a \u2018jihadist\u2019 and a \u2018terrorist\u2019 and then somehow says, \u2018Oh, what they said, these Young Republicans, was wrong,\u2019\u201d Hochul said<\/a>. \u201c\u200aLook at what you say yourself. Look at your inflammatory words, and maybe they have an effect on these young people, many of whom you support and have supported you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alex DeGrasse, a senior adviser for the Stefanik campaign, said Stefanik was \u201cappalled\u201d by the comments and considered them \u201cheinous, antisemitic, racist and unacceptable.\u201d \u201cWhile none have ever been employed by Congresswoman Stefanik, if the description by Politico is accurate, Congresswoman Stefanik calls for any NY Young Republicans responsible for these horrific comments in this chat to step down immediately,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n

But on social media<\/a>, Stefanik characterized the Politico story as a \u201chit piece,\u201d suggesting Democrats were being hypocritical since they haven\u2019t condemned the rhetoric of Jay Jones<\/a>, the Virginia attorney-general candidate who was revealed to have mused about the violent death of a local Republican lawmaker in recently unearthed text messages sent in 2022, while Republicans have called out the YR leaders.<\/p>\n

A reminder for the elected Democrats hyperventilating about this latest\u00a0@politico<\/a> hit piece where elected Republicans rightfully condemned the alleged vile statements and delivered accountability in the YR organization (mind you, these were not even candidates for elected office\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) October 14, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

The congresswoman also reiterated her assessment of Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani<\/a>, referring to him as an \u201cAntisemite Defund the Police Communist\u201d and took a parting shot as Hochul. \u201cAnd the Worst Governor @KathyHochul in America not only supports him, she endorsed him!\u201d Stefanik said.<\/p>\n

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries<\/a> highlighted Stefanik\u2019s and Republican representative Mike Lawler<\/a>\u2019s past interactions with some of the local leaders featured in the group chat, sharing photos of Stefanik with Bobby Walker, the chairman of the New York State Young Republicans, and Lawler with Peter Giunta, the former chairman. House Majority PAC, which backs Democratic House candidates, also promoted photos<\/a> of Lawler with the two men.<\/p>\n

Disgraceful New York Republicans Mike Lawler and Elise Stefanik have been palling around with these racist, antisemitic and bigoted \u201cYoung Republicans\u201d for years.<\/p>\n

Their silence exposes what\u2019s always been true \u2014 the phony outrage was nothing more than performance. pic.twitter.com\/ekdrDrlmTT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Hakeem Jeffries (@hakeemjeffries) October 14, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

In response, Lawler called the House minority leader a \u201ccomplete and total fraud.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI denounced their racist, antisemitic comments and called for their resignations. You won\u2019t condemn Mamdani\u2019s fundraising for UNRWA, which helped kill Jews on 10\/7, or Jay Jones, who fantasized about killing his opponent and children,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

In a follow-up to its reporting, Politico<\/a> noted many of the Republican leaders featured in the offensive group chat have since found themselves out of work. Walker, who was in the running to manage the congressional campaign of Peter Oberacker, will no longer be tapped for the role. Giunta, who worked as the chief of staff for State Assemblymember Michael Reilly, was fired from that position.<\/p>\n

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