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A leaked group chat between leaders of the US Young Republican movement shows frequent use of homophobic, racist, and ableist slurs, with members using the offensive language more than 250 times.

Obtained by Politico, the 2,900 pages of messages come from a Telegram group made up of about a dozen leaders of the Young Republicans, the official organisation of Republicans aged 18-40. Titled 鈥淩ESTOREYR WAR ROOM,鈥� or 鈥淩estore Young Republicans鈥�, a mixture of slurs were used at least 251 times between January and August of this year.

Vice chair of the Kansas Young Republicans, William Hendrix, was reported to have used the n-word “more than a dozen times” and expressed fondness for the organisation’s Missouri branch as 鈥淢issouri doesn鈥檛 like fags.鈥�

“Restore YR” rival and current chair of the Young Republican National Federation, Hayden Padgett, was repeatedly referred to in the chat as 鈥淗ayden Faggot” by “Restore YR” leader Peter Giunta, who also described Minnesota Young Republicans who supported Padgett as 鈥渇aggots”.

Giunta was also seen to have referred to Black people on multiple occasions as 鈥渕onkeys鈥� and 鈥渢he watermelon people鈥�.

Other messages include statements like 鈥淎dolf Padgett is in the Faggotbunker as we speak鈥�, and 鈥淩APE HAYDEN鈥� in all caps.

鈥淭he Young Republican National Federation condemns all forms of racism, antisemitism, and hate,鈥� Padgett told Politico in a statement. 鈥淚 want to be clear that such behaviour is entirely inconsistent with our values and has no place within our organisation or the broader conservative movement.鈥�

“Edgelord” behaviour contributes to normalisation of slurs

Although many members of the group聽 were called on to resign or be fired from their jobs, often in government offices, Vice-President JD Vance said that the reaction was little more than “pearl clutching”.

鈥淭he reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys,鈥澛犅爄n an appearance on right-wing cable channel Real America鈥檚 Voice. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not canceling kids because they say something stupid in a group chat, and if I have to be the person who carries that message forward, I鈥檓 with it.

“And by the way, if they were left-wing kids telling stupid left-wing jokes, I would also not want their lives to be ruined because they鈥檙e saying something stupid in a private group chat.鈥�

The language and attitude of the men, who were largely aged between their mid-20’s to mid-30’s, is representative of a wider “edgelord” rhetoric that dominates right-wing spaces, particularly online.

鈥淭hat group chat was tame,鈥澛� in an X post, the CEO of the far-right social network Gab. 鈥淭hey have no idea what鈥檚 coming.鈥�

As queer and racial rights are repeatedly challenged and rolled back internationally, the use of such offensive language normalises slurs being throw around between friends as a show of conradery, as we’ve seen most prominently in the AFL, where six AFL players have received a suspension after using homophobic slurs on the field in the space of 16 months.

The Broad of Directors of the National Young Republicans has called for the immediate resignation of all involved from all positions within their state and local Young Republican organisations.

“Such behavior is disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents,” they said in a .

“We must hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity, respect, and professionalism.”