1. United States
2. Ore.
3. Letter

I am appalled that Vice President JD Vance has defended the Young Republican leaders who were exposed for sharing vile racist, antisemitic, and misogynistic slurs in their private group chats. These are not “kids” - they are adult staffers working for state legislators, attorneys general, policy institutes, and even the federal government. Their messages—glorifying Hitler, joking about the Holocaust, mocking rape, and using slurs against women and people of color—were not “edgy humor.” That is hate speech. . Vance’s excuses reveal a lack of basic decency, empathy, and integrity unfit for public office. Congress must draw a clear moral line. Condemn JD Vance’s defense of hate speech, reaffirm zero tolerance for racism and antisemitism in all government offices, and ensure that individuals who traffic in or excuse such hatred are never placed in positions of power or trust again.