On October 14, 2025, Politico reported on 2,900 pages of leaked Telegram chats, spanning over seven months, from leaders of the Young Republicans. One such leader is in his state’s Senate.
Who are the Young Republicans? The Young Republican National Federation (YRNF), which has chapters in each state, is a youth organization that aims to get young people involved in the Republican Party, teach political & leadership skills, along with offering opportunities to engage with current issues and meet public figures.
The leaked texts contain many slurs, racist remarks, sexist comments, and jokes about rape, among other things. Many mentions of Nazism and genocide reference gassing, like in the quote from Peter Giunta, former chair of the New York chapter: “Everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber. And everyone that endorsed but then votes for us is going to the gas chamber.” and “Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers don’t fit the Hitler aesthetic,” Joe Maligno, who previously identified himself as the general counsel for the New York State Young Republicans, wrote back. These ‘edgy jokes’ are just a drop in the bucket when it comes to the leaks.
In more blatant cases, Giunta remarked, “Great. I love Hitler,” which was given an affirming smiley face by Alex Dwyer, the Kansas chair. Along with discussion about running a smear campaign on an opposing candidate using Nazi symbols, Michael Mosiman, chair of the Arizona Young Republicans, said, “Can we get them to start releasing Nazi edits with her… Like pro Nazi and fascism [sic] propaganda,” with other leadership agreeing. There is also heavy usage of white supremacist dog whistles like “1488.” Lastly, Bobby Walker had used the word “Epic” to describe rape.
Ironically, the group had on many occasions mentioned how “If we ever had a leak of this chat we would be cooked fr fr,” so one must ask himself or herself: what amount of these texts are just jokes and what amount are real opinions shaded by a mask of irony? This scandal includes many leaders within the YRN, F, and it begs the question: how many in the organization knew? How many people were simply okay with the Young Republicans being led by individuals who would say such things?
The group chat and its members reportedly were in the process of seizing control of the YRNF on a hardline pro-Donald Trump platform. Furthermore, the leaks are rumored to come from Gavin Wax, a former leader of the New York chapter and current staffer for Trump’s Department of State. The release of the chat is part of “a highly coordinated year-long character assassination led by Gavin Wax and the New York City Young Republican Club,” said Giunta. Even though Giunta openly denounces what he describes as a plot to destroy his reputation, he has still come out and apologized for the texts.
After the leaks, Vice President J.D. Vance defended the group, stating that “kids do stupid things, especially young boys,” and that a “very offensive, stupid joke” should not be a cause to ruin their lives. This defence is frankly laughable when it is openly published on the YRNF website that the organization is for ages 18-40. Not only that, but a majority of the leaders implicated in the leak are in their late 20s and early 30s.
The fallout of the leaks caused the Kansas and New York State Young Republican chapters to be disbanded. At least eight of the dozen participants in the Telegram chat have reportedly lost their jobs by either direct removal or resignation. All in all, these individuals decided to say these things, brought to the light or not, there is a deep-rooted, chronic, and disturbing hate within right-wing circles. The damage to their own party by these “leaders” is immeasurable and will remain a stain on the reputation of the Young Republicans.
