Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stated Thursday that Republicans “roundly condemn” the group chat amongst Younger Republican officers that contained racist, antisemitic and homophobic feedback, in addition to an American flag with a swastika that was pictured behind an aide in a GOP congressman’s workplace.
Requested if he’s nervous about any extremist or pro-Hitler sentiments among the many social gathering’s younger Republicans, Johnson stated: “No.”
“Look, obviously, we roundly condemn any of that nonsense,” Johnson stated.
His feedback come after an explosive report from Politico revealed a bunch chat wherein officers within the Younger Republicans group, made for adults as much as age 40, expressed pro-Hitler and racist sentiments. The group chat included GOP operatives and one Vermont state senator.
“Obviously, that is not the principles of the Republican Party. We stand for the founding principles of America,” Johnson stated. “You want me to articulate them for you right now? Individual freedom, limited government, rule of law, peace through strength, fiscal responsibility, free markets, human dignity, the things that lead to human flourishing.”
“We have stood against that. We fought the Nazis. We defended that evil ideology. We roundly condemn it, and anybody in any party who espouses it, we’re opposing that,” Johnson stated.
Some Democratic and left-wing commenters highlighted Johnson’s obvious misspeak about defending the ideology.
Johnson additionally addressed a photograph of him subsequent to a minimum of one of many members in a bunch chat that circulated on social media.
“Obviously, I think it was at the inauguration, and people were just coming up and asking for selfies, a thousand of them, I don’t know. I never heard of that person in my life,” Johnson stated.
“But whoever these young people are, and whatever they’re saying, if it’s true, we obviously condemn that, and the organizations involved are dealing with that. That’s my understanding,” Johnson stated.
The Younger Republican Nationwide Federation on Tuesday referred to as for rapid resignations of these concerned within the leaked group chat.
Then on Wednesday, information broke of an aide for Rep. Dave Taylor (R-Ohio) being pictured in a videoconference name with an American flag with pink stripes altered to kind a swastika posted in a cubicle within the background. Taylor referred to as the picture “vile and deeply inappropriate” and stated Capitol Police are investigating the matter.
“There’s a proper investigation ongoing, and the congressman did exactly what he should have done,” Johnson stated of the incident. “I can’t comment on it any further until that’s done.”
Jonson took a notably completely different tone in addressing the chat than Vice President Vance, who dismissed “pearl clutching” over the leaked messages.
“The reality is that kids do stupid things. Especially young boys, they tell edgy, offensive jokes. Like, that’s what kids do,” Vance stated in an interview on “The Charlie Kirk Show” on Wednesday. “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.”
