Trump photographed with young Republicans who called Black people monkeys, joked about watching people 'burn'

[B.See]

BIRDS OF A FEATHER...

Trump photographed with young Republicans who called Black people monkeys, joked about watching people ‘burn’ - The Grio
The White House and Vice President JD Vance attempted to downplay the controversy about the racist text messages.

Despite the White House’s efforts to distance itself from a bombshell investigative report exposing the racist and violent text messages of several young Republican leaders, a new photograph of ... Donald Trump with a pair of those Republicans is sure not to put the controversy to bed.

As theGrio previously reported, Black leaders, including NAACP President Derrick Johnson and Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman and U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, slammed the shocking text messages leaked from a group chat among young Republican leaders from New York, Kansas, Arizona, and Vermont.

According to an investigation from Politico, the members of the Young Republican National Federation called Black people monkeys, joked about slavery and rape, used racist slurs like the n-word, and made references to racist tropes about Black people eating watermelon and fried chicken.

The White House and ... JD Vance attempted to downplay the controversy about the racist text messages. Vance dismissed the texts as “a bunch of kids” saying things in a group chat, “however offensive it might be.”

Meet the ten Young Republican leaders linked to Hitler-loving comments - The Mirror

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. thegrio.com blocked me, probably bc I block cookies. . . . nt

[B.See]

2. Here's a Yahoo link.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-photographed-young-republicans-called-145038282.html

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Thanks. They have the photo, but grayed out at the beginning of the video and not elsewhere. Thanks all the same. . nt

[sop]

4. Vance: "a bunch of kids."

Young Republican National Federation members range from 18 to 40, and the former chair of the New York State Young Republicans, is 31-years-old. Republicans cry out for 14 and 15-year-old black and brown minors involved in criminal activity to be tried as adults, while 30-something professional men are a just a "bunch of kids."

[B.See]

6. Exactly. Funny how criminal activity

suddenly becomes "kids' pranks" when the PERPS are those of privilege, isn't it?

[walkingman]

5. Is this a surprise? Does anyone think that the GOP is not a racist political party?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. MaddowBlog-JD Vance doubles down, pushes ridiculous defense of racist Republican group chat

The vice president’s initial rhetoric about a disgusting GOP group chat was misguided. His follow-up remarks made matters far worse.

As JD Vance describes the Republican members of a racist group chat as “kids” and “young boys,” consider:

One of the participants is 35.

When Vance launched his Senate campaign, he was 36. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-10-16T17:01:46.672Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/jd-vance-doubles-pushes-ridiculous-defense-racist-republican-group-cha-rcna238010

On Tuesday night, just hours after the Politico report was first published, the vice president wrote via social media that this was merely “a college group chat,” adding that he refused to “join the pearl clutching.”

A day later, the Ohio Republican elaborated on his perspective while again downplaying the significance of the story. Vance said on a conservative podcast:

The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys. 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

.

While continuing to refer to the group chat’s participants as “kids,” the vice president added that, as far as he’s concerned, this isn’t a “real” issue.

Vance on public outrage over the "I love Hitler" group chat: "Grow up! Focus on the real issues. Don't focus on what kids say in group chats... The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys — they tell edgy, offensive jokes. That's what kids do."

— The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com) 2025-10-15T18:56:47.333Z

So, a few things.

First, the idea that those responsible for racist, antisemitic and homophobic content, including comments about gas chambers, slavery and rape, were “young boys” and “kids” is factually wrong. The Republicans in question were adults. Some are in their 30s.....

Second, if Vance believes comments about rape and gas chambers are “edgy,” he probably ought to reassess his cultural standards.

Third, we’re not just talking about a group of teens who fired off a dumb text on the quad between classes. Some of these Republican adults are currently working for elected officials, ostensibly serving the public. One, Samuel Douglass of Vermont, is even a sitting state senator.

Fourth, Vance might not see systemic Republican bigotry as a “real” issue, but that says more about the vice president than it does about those taking the controversy seriously.

Stepping back, it would’ve been incredibly easy for Vance to simply say, “Bigotry has no place in this party.” But for reasons he hasn’t explained, the vice president, almost exactly a year after peddling a racist conspiracy theory, refused this incredibly obvious course.

[B.See]

8. The reason why Vance refused to take that course is because

he Trump and MAGA are the SOURCES of that kind of mentality.

For decades now, the Republicans / Tea Partiers / MAGA / "Hitler Lovers" have been increasingly putting out such hateful rhetoric, endorsing it and trying to legitimize it, in their words, actions, policies, and DEEDS.

And it's been going on for quite some time, in right wing online forums like the one outed, and sometimes out loud and in our faces.

And those kind of thoughts, that mindset, is the very FUEL and FOUNDATION for most everything they (Trump, MAGA, et al) do and say.

My only surprise being that it took this long for the general public to catch on.