1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I an outraged that Vice President JD Vance has defended the Young Republican leaders exposed for sharing vile racist, antisemitic, and misogynistic slurs in their private group chats. These were not “kids” (or “boys will be boys”!) as Vance falsely claimed. They were adult staffers working for state legislators, attorneys general, policy institutes, and even the federal government.Their messages were not “edgy humor.” They were hate speech. Vance’s defense is even more disturbing given that some of the attacks were aimed at Indian women—the heritage of his own wife and children. Congress must 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.