JD Vance thinks participating in Nazi group chats is no big deal, for reasons that surely have no component of self-interest
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Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday downplayed bigoted messages in Young Republicans’ group chats, suggesting they were nothing more than “edgy, offensive jokes.”
The comments came in response to POLITICO’s exclusive reporting that a trove of Telegram messages between Young Republicans — including state group leaders and at least one Trump administration staffer — was rife with racist, antisemitic and homophobic content, including jokes about gas chambers, slavery and rape.
That report was met with widespread condemnation and a cascade of firings.
The vice president suggested the real problem is the idea that an offensive joke can ruin a young person’s life.
“The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys,” Vance said on “The Charlie Kirk Show.” “They tell edgy, offensive jokes. That’s what kids do. And I really don’t want us to grow up in a country where a kid telling a stupid joke — telling a very offensive, stupid joke — is cause to ruin their lives.”
Let’s back up a bit here:
Vance said on “The Charlie Kirk Show.”
Yes, if there’s anything we’ve recently learned, it’s that contemporary Republicans do not think anyone should face consequences from private communications [gift link]. And definitely you cannot imagine a Republican administration detaining a college student for writing an anodyne op-ed.
In addition to the obvious, the definition of “kids” here is being stretched well beyond the breaking point:
Here are the grown “kids”. That one guy looks late 40’s. These are the Hitler lovers.
[image or embed]— MB (@sugarcubedog.bsky.social) Oct 15, 2025 at 11:18 AM
At least one person in these chats is a state senator, but youthful indiscretions etc. etc.