1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

I write to you with deep outrage following the exposure of private messages from leaders in the Young Republicans that contain appalling racism, antisemitism, misogyny, and calls for violence. These are not harmless jokes; they are explicit indicators of a moral and ideological crisis within elements of the Republican youth organizations—and by extension, within your party if left unchallenged. To be explicit: Peter Giunta, former chair of the New York State Young Republicans, wrote, “I love Hitler.” He also said, “Everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber,” and threatened, “I’m going to create some of the greatest physiological torture methods known to man.” Joe Maligno, a member of the group, responded to talk of gas chambers: “Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers don’t fit the Hitler aesthetic.” Bobby Walker, who later became chair of the New York Young Republicans, said, “I’m ready to watch people burn now.” He was also quoted in the chat defending or dismissing the remarks while claiming possible “alteration.” William Hendrix, vice chair of Kansas Young Republicans, reportedly used variations of the N-word more than a dozen times. Samuel Douglass, a Vermont state senator and the only elected official in the chat, made disparaging comments about a woman not bathing, and his wife is quoted referring to a Jewish person with an “expecting the Jew to be honest” slur. These are not offhand remarks from clueless teenagers—they came from adults, many of them holding leadership roles in party-affiliated organizations. These statements are vile, hateful, and deeply damaging. By continuing to associate—or failing to forcefully repudiate—such behavior, Republican leadership implicitly validates it. Silence in the face of this is complicity. I demand that you, and all your Republican colleagues, take these actions immediately: Publicly and unequivocally condemn every one of these statements. Do not hedge or deflect. Demand the removal of all individuals found to have authored, repeated, or defended these messages from every position of leadership or influence within the party. Institute structural reforms: mandatory ethics training, background scrutiny for leadership roles, and enforceable mechanisms to suspend or remove party figures engaged in demeaning or hateful conduct. Affirm the Republican Party’s values in plain terms: that dignity, equality, decency, and zero tolerance for racism or antisemitism must define our political institutions. This is not a matter of political “spin” or rebranding. It is a moral test. If party leaders refuse to act, they will be revealing that they condone this hate—or are too weak to stop it. I expect you to choose principle over party optics. I will be watching for your public response and for whether your actions align with your words.