Private Telegram messages among New York State Young Republicans and other state Young Republican groups across the country revealed racist, antisemitic, and violent language, including jokes about gas chambers and sexual assault. The messages, exchanged in a chat called “RESTOREYR WAR ROOM,” were published by Politico and included numerous racial and homophobic slurs. Prominent New York Republicans condemned the chats and demanded consequences, while New York’s top Democratic leaders used the revelations to accuse the Republican Party of having a broader toxicity.<\/p>\n
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) \u2014 Correspondence among leaders of the New York State Young Republicans and other state Young Republican groups across the country exposed racist, antisemitic, and violent language, earning swift condemnation from Republican and Democratic officials in New York. Spanning early January to mid-August 2025, the messages published by Politico<\/a> show young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers and sexual assault while using numerous racial and homophobic slurs.<\/p>\n \t The private Telegram instant messages were exchanged in a chat called \u201cRESTOREYR WAR ROOM.\u201d Politico detailed conversations among a dozen millennial and Gen Z Republicans, including several from New York, working on a campaign to seize control of the Young Republican National Federation, the GOP\u2019s 15,000-member political organization for those aged 18 to 40.<\/p>\n Besides using white supremacist dog whistles throughout, the epithets \u201cf\u2014-t,\u201d \u201cretarded,\u201d and \u201cn\u2013ga\u201d appeared over 250 times across almost three thousand pages of chat logs, Politico said. Perhaps the standout quotation appears in the headline: \u201cI love Hitler,\u201d said Peter Giunta<\/a>, who was the NYSYR chair at the time.<\/p>\n \t Giunta, who served as chief of staff to New York State Assemblymember Mike Reilly, said he took complete responsibility but said the messages \u201cmay have been deceptively doctored\u201d and released as part of a \u201chighly-coordinated year-long character assassination.\u201d<\/p>\n In August 2024, Giunta told NEWS10<\/a> in Albany that many of New York\u2019s young Republicans \u201csupport Israel\u2019s existence and have been extremely vocal against anti-Semitism abroad and the actions of terrorist organizations like Hamas.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Bobby Walker, NYSYR vice chair at the time and later chair, called rape epic in a chat in August, and messages attributed to him weren\u2019t shy about using slurs. What\u2019s more, he stated the obvious in the form of a prophecy: \u201cIf we ever had a leak of this chat we would be cooked.\u201d<\/p>\n He served as Communications Coordinator for State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt. Walker also said there was no excuse for the language and that he is \u201ccommitted to moving forward with greater care, respect, and accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Prominent New York Republicans condemned the chats and demanded consequences. Republican Assemblymember Matt Simpson called the rhetoric appalling, vile, repulsive, and un-American. Republican Assemblymember Chris Tague agreed, saying the \u201cabhorrent rhetoric\u201d is \u201cunacceptable and a betrayal of the principles our party stands for.\u201d<\/p>\n Ciro Riccardi from the office of U.S. Congressmember Mike Lawler of New York said Lawler \u201cis disgusted by the hateful antisemitism and racism revealed in these messages\u201d and that anyone involved \u201cshould immediately resign from any leadership position.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Schenectady GOP chair Liz Joy<\/a> noted that Walker lives in Schenectady County but \u201cis not a committee member in Schenectady County.\u201d She encouraged Walker to \u201ctake accountability for his actions by examining his conscience regarding continuing in his leadership post.\u201d<\/p>\n Ortt\u2019s rebuke appears in the Politico article, and his office confirmed on Wednesday that Walker \u201cresigned from Senate before the politico story broke.\u201d<\/p>\n \t The criticism from U.S. Congressmember Elise Stefanik of New York also appeared in the original article. She had endorsed Giunta to lead the Young Republican National Federation this year, and her campaign and political PAC had donated to the organization.<\/p>\n Stefanik took to Twitter Tuesday night to shine a mirror at \u201celected Democrats hyperventilating about this latest Politico\u00a0hit piece where elected Republicans rightfully condemned the alleged vile statements and delivered accountability.\u201d She added that Democratic New York Assemblymember and candidate for New York City mayor Zohran \u201cMamdani is an Antisemite Defund the Police Communist who embraces and campaigns with terrorist sympathizers.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Stefanik and Tague both received honors from NYSYR in August. \u201cI want to thank Bobby Walker, Peter Giunta, and all of the hardworking Young Republicans who are the backbone of our party, for all the work they do to ensure Republican victories up and down the ballot in New York,\u201d the congressmember said at the time<\/a>.<\/p>\n And while Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella condemned \u201chate\u2014racism, antisemitism, sexism\u2014in all its forms,\u201d he also shifted blame. Fossella claimed a double standard where Democratic individuals and officeholders like Mamdani or people who celebrate the assassination of Charlie Kirk aren\u2019t held accountable.<\/p>\n
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