JD Vance brushes off racist texts by adults in Republican group chat as what kids do'

"JD Vance sought to downplay the revelation that leaders of a group called the Young Republicans exchanged hundreds of racist, sexist text messages including one in which rape was called epic, and another in which someone wrote I love Hitler as youthful indiscretions. Vance, speaking on a new episode of the Charlie Kirk Show, the podcast run by colleagues of the late conservative activist, suggested that the participants in the leaked chats were much younger than they in fact are."

"Some of the participants are barely younger than the 41-year-old vice-president. The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys, Vance said. 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."

"Politico obtained months of exchanges from a Telegram conversation between leaders and members of the Young Republican National Federation and some of its affiliates in New York, Kansas, Arizona and Vermont. Mother Jones reports that public records indicate that eight of the 11 Republican operatives who took part in the offensive chat appear to range in age from 24 to 35."

JD Vance characterized racist and sexist messages exchanged by Young Republican leaders as youthful indiscretions and urged restraint in punishing participants. Vance suggested the chat participants were much younger than they are and argued that offensive jokes by young people should not end careers. Politico obtained months of Telegram exchanges among Young Republican National Federation leaders and affiliates, while Mother Jones identified eight of 11 operatives as apparently aged 24 to 35. The revelations triggered bipartisan calls for resignations; the Young Republican National Federation asked those involved to step down. Vance criticized Democrats and the media and pointed to offensive texts by a Virginia Democratic candidate as a counterpoint.

Read at www.theguardian.com