Racist and Antisemitic Telegram Leaks Rock Young Republicans as Party Scrambles to Contain Fallout

A torrent of leaked messages has plunged the Republican Party's youth movement into crisis after Politico published nearly 3,000 pages of Telegram chats filled with racist, antisemitic, and violent remarks, including praise for Hitler and jokes about gas chambers.

The revelations have sent shockwaves through state chapters of the Young Republicans, prompting calls for mass resignations and deep concern about the movement's ideological future.

Inside the Leaked Chats

The leaked messages, spanning seven months, involved around a dozen leaders from Young Republican chapters in New York, Kansas, Vermont, and Arizona. Participants reportedly exchanged racial slurs, rape jokes, and Nazi references.

In one of the most disturbing comments, Peter Giunta, then-chair of the New York State Young Republicans, wrote: 'Everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber,' referring to a leadership vote.

Giunta later added: 'I'm going to create some of the greatest physiological torture methods known to man.'

Another participant, Joseph Maligno, who identified himself as general counsel for the New York chapter, replied: 'Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers don't fit the Hitler aesthetic.'

Elsewhere in the chat, William Hendrix, vice chair of the Kansas Young Republicans, used racial slurs, while New Yorker Bobby Walker described rape as 'epic'.

Fallout Across the GOP

The exposé has rattled the Young Republican National Federation (YRNF), a 15,000-member group that serves as a training ground for future conservative leaders.

'We are appalled by the vile and inexcusable language revealed in the Politico article,' the YRNF board said in a statement on Facebook. 'Such behaviour is disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to our values.'

The board demanded that all involved 'immediately resign from their positions' and vowed to review internal policies.

Prominent Republicans, including Rep. Elise Stefanik and New York Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, swiftly condemned the rhetoric. Within days, Giunta's role with state lawmaker Mike Reilly ended, and Maligno was dismissed from the New York State Unified Court System, both confirmed to be part of the chat.

Infighting and Denials

Giunta, who was campaigning to lead the national federation at the time, has dismissed the scandal as a 'coordinated character assassination,' accusing rivals of leaking the messages.

'These logs were sourced through extortion and weaponised by those conspiring against me,' he claimed, alleging that Trump-aligned operatives were behind the leak.

Still, Giunta offered a partial apology, saying: 'I am deeply sorry to those offended by the insensitive and inexcusable language. While I take responsibility, I cannot verify whether all messages were authentic.'

Former New York Young Republican Club president Gavin Wax, accused of being involved in the leak, declined to comment.

Broader Party Reaction

A White House official told Politico that the administration 'has no affiliation with the group chat' and noted that hundreds of conservative organisations routinely seek its endorsement.

Analysts say the controversy highlights a deeper issue within the GOP's younger ranks, questioning how to balance populist fervour with basic standards of civility.

'This isn't just locker-room talk,' one political analyst said on X. 'It's a reflection of what happens when extremism festers unchecked in spaces meant to cultivate future leaders.'

Calls for Accountability

Democrats also weighed in. New York Governor Kathy Hochul called the comments 'repugnant and dangerous,' while House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries described them as evidence of 'moral decay among aspiring public servants.'

As of Tuesday, several state Young Republican chapters were discussing disciplinary measures and leadership changes. Insiders told The Hill that pressure was mounting for Giunta, Hendrix, and others to resign.

Whether the organisation can recover remains uncertain. The scandal has exposed deep fractures within the party's youth movement and raised troubling questions about the direction of the next generation of Republican leadership in the post-Trump era.