Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Reports Of Vile, Racist, And Sexist Remarks Made In A Young Republicans Group Chat, And Calling Out Lack Of Condemnation By Elected Republicans

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the disgusting and hateful messages made in a Young Republicans group chat, and the lack of condemnation by Republican officials in the wake of rising political violence. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

It’s a frightening time in America as we witness the rise of political violence and violent rhetoric.

Yesterday, as most people now know, Politico published a story about thousands upon thousands of text exchanges, reportedly from prominent members of the Young Republican organization across the country, showing racist, sexist, outright violent language.

They made jokes about Hitler. About gas chambers. They talked about torture. They made jokes about sexual assault. They used almost every racist obscenity, including the N-word.

Now, no matter who it comes from, right or left, all of us have an obligation to denounce vile rhetoric like this. But a full day after these texts have leaked, most Republican leaders haven’t said a peep about these gas chamber and Hitler jokes coming from the Young Republicans.

Too many Republican leaders seem willing to call out violent rhetoric only when it comes from the other side. But these same Republicans never seem willing to denounce it when it comes from their own ranks, and that’s dangerous. Violent political rhetoric is an attack on everyone.

And Vice President Vance yesterday, amazingly, seemed to excuse these vile texts as just a college group chat, and that he “refuse[d] to join the pearl clutching.” That is outrageous. Leave it to JD Vance to preach about violent political rhetoric only when it serves his interests, and then ignore or excuse it when it comes from his own side.

The hypocrisy is disgusting and shameful coming from supposed national leaders. If you don’t like hate speech, you don’t like all hate speech – not just hate speech from political groups you don’t like. The real test is to denounce it from groups that might be on your side of the aisle, like the Young Republican organization.

And let’s be clear, these aren’t random college kids – these are individuals who work in government, who’ve held positions of leadership at the state level, and one person in the chat is actually an elected official.

Of course, some Republicans at the lower level have spoken out, and good for them, they should do so. But where is everyone else? Where are all our Republican colleagues? Where is President Trump?

Here's what needs to happen. Every single Republican leader, from the president on down, has to condemn these attacks immediately, or all of their cries about hate speech seem to be one-sided or bogus.

The people who made these vile comments should be out of a job and never allowed to work in politics again. And both sides must make it clear to the entire country that vile rhetoric like this is unacceptable.

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