To condemn or not to condemn? That is the question for Republican officials after a Young Republicans group chat containing racist and antisemitic messages leaked this week.

While no Republican official has said they support the offensive messages reported by Politico earlier this week — which included messages like “I love Hitler” and those that referred to Black people as monkeys and “the watermelon people” — there is an open debate on the right about how best to respond, and whether people who express such sentiments have a place in Republican politics.

Some Republicans have no problem strongly disavowing the sentiment and calling for the members of the group to resign their positions.

Others quickly condemn the statements before moving to turn the attention back on shocking statements from Democrats, particularly Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones, whose leaked texts fantasizing about shooting a Republican lawmaker and his children were exposed earlier this month.

And others downplay the significance of the content in the Young Republican group chat.

Vice President Vance has been the loudest and most prominent voice in the latter group. He quickly took to social media to say he would not engage “pearl clutching” over the chat, pointing to the texts revealed to be from Jones. Rep. Michael Rulli (R-Ohio) and prominent MAGA-world consultant Alex Bruesewitz were among those who said Vance was “spot on.”

While Vance described it as a “college group chat,” the Young Republicans is an organization for adults under the age of 40, and the group included individuals working professionally in politics and a Vermont state senator.

Vance expanded on his thoughts in an episode of the Charlie Kirk Show on Wednesday, saying that those getting “distracted” by the group chat need to “grow up.”

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