New York Young Republicans caught in hateful rhetoric scandal

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Correspondence among leaders of the New York State Young Republicans and other state Young Republican groups across the country exposed racist, antisemitic, and violent language, earning swift condemnation from Republican and Democratic officials in New York. Spanning early January to mid-August 2025, the messages published by Politico show young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers and sexual assault while using numerous racial and homophobic slurs.

The private Telegram instant messages were exchanged in a chat called “RESTOREYR WAR ROOM.” Politico detailed conversations among a dozen millennial and Gen Z Republicans, including several from New York, working on a campaign to seize control of the Young Republican National Federation, the GOP’s 15,000-member political organization for those aged 18 to 40.

Besides using white supremacist dog whistles throughout, the epithets “f—-t,” “retarded,” and “n–ga” appeared over 250 times across almost three thousand pages of chat logs, Politico said. Perhaps the standout quotation appears in the headline: “I love Hitler,” said Peter Giunta, who was the NYSYR chair at the time.

Giunta, who served as chief of staff to New York State Assemblymember Mike Reilly, said he took complete responsibility but said the messages “may have been deceptively doctored” and released as part of a “highly-coordinated year-long character assassination.”

In August 2024, Giunta told NEWS10 in Albany that many of New York’s young Republicans “support Israel’s existence and have been extremely vocal against anti-Semitism abroad and the actions of terrorist organizations like Hamas.”

Bobby Walker, NYSYR vice chair at the time and later chair, called rape epic in a chat in August, and messages attributed to him weren’t shy about using slurs. What’s more, he stated the obvious in the form of a prophecy: “If we ever had a leak of this chat we would be cooked.”

He served as Communications Coordinator for State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt. Walker also said there was no excuse for the language and that he is “committed to moving forward with greater care, respect, and accountability.”

Prominent New York Republicans condemned the chats and demanded consequences. Republican Assemblymember Matt Simpson called the rhetoric appalling, vile, repulsive, and un-American. Republican Assemblymember Chris Tague agreed, saying the “abhorrent rhetoric” is “unacceptable and a betrayal of the principles our party stands for.”

Ciro Riccardi from the office of U.S. Congressmember Mike Lawler of New York said Lawler “is disgusted by the hateful antisemitism and racism revealed in these messages” and that anyone involved “should immediately resign from any leadership position.”

Schenectady GOP chair Liz Joy noted that Walker lives in Schenectady County but “is not a committee member in Schenectady County.” She encouraged Walker to “take accountability for his actions by examining his conscience regarding continuing in his leadership post.”

Ortt’s rebuke appears in the Politico article, and his office confirmed on Wednesday that Walker “resigned from Senate before the politico story broke.”

The criticism from U.S. Congressmember Elise Stefanik of New York also appeared in the original article. She had endorsed Giunta to lead the Young Republican National Federation this year, and her campaign and political PAC had donated to the organization.

Stefanik took to Twitter Tuesday night to shine a mirror at “elected Democrats hyperventilating about this latest Politico hit piece where elected Republicans rightfully condemned the alleged vile statements and delivered accountability.” She added that Democratic New York Assemblymember and candidate for New York City mayor Zohran “Mamdani is an Antisemite Defund the Police Communist who embraces and campaigns with terrorist sympathizers.”

Stefanik and Tague both received honors from NYSYR in August. “I want to thank Bobby Walker, Peter Giunta, and all of the hardworking Young Republicans who are the backbone of our party, for all the work they do to ensure Republican victories up and down the ballot in New York,” the congressmember said at the time.

And while Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella condemned “hate—racism, antisemitism, sexism—in all its forms,” he also shifted blame. Fossella claimed a double standard where Democratic individuals and officeholders like Mamdani or people who celebrate the assassination of Charlie Kirk aren’t held accountable.

New York’s top Democratic leaders used the revelations to accuse the Republican Party of having a broader toxicity. On Tuesday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the “dangerously racist, sexist, and violent comments.” He argued that those involved “should no longer have any position of power in any Republican organization.”

Governor Kathy Hochul agreed, calling the comments “so vile it’s hard to find the words to put into context.” She called the people involved “the future of the Republican Party” and compared their charged language to that of Stefanik about Mamdani.

“There’s got to be consequences. Kick them out of the party. Take away their official roles. Stop using them as campaign advisers,” Hochul said. “This bullshit has to stop.”