The Young Republican National Federation (YRNF) is reeling from a scandal of unprecedented proportions after leaked group chat messages exposed a torrent of racist, antisemitic, and homophobic slurs exchanged among prominent members. The revelations, first reported by Politico on October 19, 2025, have sent shockwaves through the Republican Party’s youth wing, igniting fierce debate and deepening internal rifts just as the organization prepares for a pivotal role in the 2026 midterm elections.
At the heart of the controversy are private Telegram group chats in which high-profile Young Republican leaders—including former leadership contender Peter Giunta, Arizona Young Republicans Chair Luke Mosiman, Kansas Young Republicans chair Alex Dwyer, and vice chair William Hendrix—voiced disturbingly extremist views. The leaked messages included declarations such as “I love Hitler,” racial epithets like “They love the watermelon people,” and even threats of sexual violence and references to gas chambers. According to Politico, the group chat was brimming with racism, antisemitism, and violent, authoritarian musings, with members referring to Black Americans as “monkeys” and warning one another against trusting Jews.
These are not idle provocations by anonymous internet trolls. Many participants in the chat hold or have held significant positions in government and politics. Michael Bartels, for instance, is a senior adviser in the office of general counsel within the U.S. Small Business Administration. Vermont state senator Samuel Douglass was also named among the participants. As Substack pointed out, these individuals are “the future leaders of the Republican Party,” making the exposure of such rhetoric all the more alarming.
Even before the leak, some members feared the consequences. Bobby Walker, former vice chair of the New York State Young Republicans, wrote in the chat, “If we ever had a leak of this chat we would be cooked fr fr.” His anxiety proved prescient: the subsequent fallout has indeed rocked the organization.
Reactions from within the YRNF have been sharply divided. Allies of current YRNF chair Hayden Padgett—representing 23 state chapters—swiftly condemned the leaked messages and reaffirmed their support for his leadership. Missouri, Alaska, and Wisconsin’s Young Republican leaders, in particular, tied their public condemnation to their opposition to Giunta’s failed leadership challenge in August. On the other side, several Giunta-aligned chapters remained conspicuously silent or deleted their previous endorsements of his campaign, signaling a deepening schism within the group.
The Arizona Young Republican Federation, led by Luke Mosiman, took a different tack. While acknowledging the offensive nature of the language, they questioned the “authenticity and context” of the chat, accusing national leaders of exploiting the scandal for political gain. Their statement described the reaction as “mob-style condemnation driven by political opportunism or personal agendas.”
Chair Hayden Padgett, however, was unequivocal in his response. “The YRNF unequivocally condemned the leaked messages in the Politico article—full stop,” he stated on October 19, 2025. “Outside of those in the sticks, every state and local Young Republican chapter stands united.” Still, some insiders are less convinced. As one anonymous state chair told Politico, “We spend a lot of time fighting amongst ourselves. These are the meanest people I have ever met in my life.” The fear is palpable: the scandal and ongoing division could sap the group’s influence at a crucial moment for the Republican Party.
The reverberations of the scandal have not been limited to the YRNF’s internal politics. Prominent conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, himself a Jewish American, weighed in forcefully on the issue. In a video shared widely on social media, Shapiro condemned the extremist comments and urged the political right to police its own ranks. “There are things that get said on the right that are really, really, really ugly and pretending those away doesn’t make them go away. I think that they’re rising. I think that they’re getting more common. I know that my death threats from that side are getting more common. I know I have more security because of that. And it’s not just from the left. I have lots of security from the left. And I also get lots of security from the right,” Shapiro said, according to reporting by Alternet.
Shapiro’s comments mark a notable shift from his previous approach. In the past, he had shown a willingness to overlook bigoted remarks from figures on the right if they were staunchly pro-Israel. For example, when Ann Coulter made offensive tweets about Jews, Shapiro responded, “@anncoulter tweets re: Jews awful, nonsensical. @anncoulter is also super pro-Israel, and has always been so, so I won’t lose sleep.” But the current climate, he suggested, is different: “I just don’t know which direction the bullet is coming from at this point. If somebody tries to kill Matt [Walsh], there’s a good shot that it’s going to be a leftist. If somebody tries to kill me, it’s a Frickin’ Agatha Christie novel.”
This new reality is underscored by the growing anti-Israel sentiment among some factions of the American right. Figures like Tucker Carlson have openly criticized U.S. leaders for what they see as undue deference to Israel, with Carlson accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of bragging about controlling former President Trump and U.S. policy. Such rhetoric, once confined to the fringes, is now finding a foothold in mainstream conservative circles, fueling anxieties among Jewish Republicans and their allies.
Meanwhile, some right-wing commentators have sought to downplay the significance of the leaked chats. Matt Walsh, an employee of Shapiro’s, dismissed the controversy with an inflammatory comparison: “Some of you people are talking about a group chat while the other side has killed enough babies to fill a thousand football stadiums. Give me a break. You should be embarrassed.” This kind of whataboutism has only heightened the sense of crisis and confusion within the movement.
The YRNF scandal has exposed not only the existence of virulent bigotry among the party’s youth but also the profound divisions over how to address it. While some leaders are calling for accountability and reform, others are circling the wagons or casting doubt on the very authenticity of the evidence. The fact that many of those involved are already holding positions of influence in government and party structures makes the stakes even higher.
The Republican Party now faces a stark choice: confront the extremism within its ranks or risk allowing it to fester, with unpredictable consequences for its future leadership and public image. As the 2026 midterms approach, the response of the YRNF and the wider GOP will be closely watched—not only by their supporters but by the nation at large.
The fallout from the leaked chats is a reminder that words, even those exchanged in private, have power. The decisions made in the coming months may well determine the trajectory of the party’s next generation—and, perhaps, the direction of American politics itself.
