JD Vance Defends Racist Texts in GOP Group Chat, Calling It 'What Kids Do'

Vice President JD Vance has dismissed a series of racist, sexist, and antisemitic text messages exchanged by senior members of a Young Republicans group chat as simply 'what kids do.'

Despite the participants being adults aged 24 to 35, Vance characterised the scandal, which included messages like 'I love Hitler' and jokes calling rape 'epic,' as youthful indiscretion, urging critics to 'grow up' and focus on what he deemed 'the real issues.'

His defence starkly contrasts with the widespread condemnation from leaders within his own party, igniting a firestorm over accountability and the rhetoric tolerated within the GOP.

Why JD Vance Is Defending Adults As 'Kids'

Speaking on a new episode of The Charlie Kirk Show, Vice President JD Vance, 41, repeatedly sought to downplay the severity of the leaked messages by misrepresenting the age of those involved.

Vance stated: 'The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys. They tell edgy, offensive jokes. That's what kids do. And I really don't want us to grow up in a country where a kid telling a stupid joke, telling a very offensive, stupid joke, is cause to ruin their lives.'

This narrative, however, is directly contradicted by public records. According to a report from Mother Jones, eight of the eleven Republican operatives in the chat are between 24 and 35 years old, some only a few years younger than the Vice President himself.

Vance also attempted to deflect from the issue by pivoting to a 2022 controversy involving Virginia's then-Democratic candidate for attorney general, Jay Jones, who joked about a Republican colleague getting 'two bullets to the head.'

Jones has since taken 'full responsibility' and publicly apologised. Vance expressed irritation that anyone would be distracted from the Democrat's 'incredible endorsement of political violence... by focusing on what kids are saying in a group chat.'

A Party Divided: Republicans Condemn What JD Vance Excuses

While JD Vance offered a defence, the reaction from many other prominent Republicans was one of swift and unequivocal condemnation.

The Young Republican National Federation, the GOP's official organisation for members aged 18 to 40, issued a statement calling the messages 'disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents.' The group called for all involved to resign from their positions.

This sentiment was echoed across the party.

• In Vermont, Republican legislative leaders and Governor Phil Scott called for the resignation of State Senator Sam Douglass, a participant in the chat, terming his comments 'unacceptable and deeply disturbing'.
• New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik said she was 'absolutely appalled to learn about the alleged comments' and demanded those involved step down.
• Danedri Herbert, the chair of the Kansas GOP, asserted that the remarks 'do not reflect the beliefs of Republicans and certainly not of Kansas Republicans at large.'

Democrats Escalate Pressure On JD Vance And The GOP

Democratic leaders have been uniform in their outrage, calling for accountability from the highest levels of the Republican party. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer described the chat as 'revolting' on the Senate floor, calling for Republicans, including Donald Trump and JD Vance, to 'condemn these comments swiftly and unequivocally.'

California Governor Gavin Newsom formally requested that the House Oversight Committee launch an investigation into the 'vile and offensive text messages,' calling them 'the definition of conduct that can create a hostile and discriminatory environment that violates civil rights laws.'

New York Governor Kathy Hochul offered one of the most forceful condemnations, demanding immediate consequences. Hochul said: 'Kick them out of the party. Take away their official roles. Stop using them as campaign advisers. There needs to be consequences. This bullshit has to stop.'

The controversy places Vice President JD Vance at odds not only with his political opponents but with key figures inside the Republican party, revealing a deep rift on standards of conduct and accountability. His decision to defend adult operatives as 'kids' making 'jokes' has ignited a fierce debate over the rhetoric tolerated at the highest levels of American politics.

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