I Love Hitler?
Politico recently reported on how a group of Young Republican leaders gleefully engaged in hate speech by texts that were racist, misogynistic, and even antisemitic. These individuals are alleged to be emerging leaders for a future GOP. Most of them were white, male, and clearly feeling either “superior” to others or “entitled.” (Not a lot of true populism in that, right? You can’t keep attacking “elites” and act like you’re better than everyone else.)
Bear in mind that hate speech is legal in the United States. Some folks embrace their inner hatred, and even show it off, especially when they think that the public will not know their true hearts and minds. Robert Arnold, the “Tennessee Holler,” has a lot to say about how the GOP has actually nurtured this cohort of up-and-coming politicians in the Republican party. Take a good listen here:
https://substack.com/@defiance13/note/p-176281901
Here are a few quotations from Robert Arnold:
“What emerges here is a subculture of hatred, misogyny, dehumanization and violent fantasy. It is appalling and it demands answers; but more than that, it demands accountability from those who enabled it, both silently and overtly. Because these aren’t fringe extremists ––these are your young leaders, the ones that sit at banquets and photo ops shaking hands with state chairs and congressmen, the ones you call the future of the party.”
“They joked about rape and called it epic; they celebrated Hitler and referenced gas chambers as political threats; they hurled racial epithets and mocked Jewish people, degraded women and fantasized about violence toward political opponents and there’s nearly 3000 pages of this shit.”
“They’ve seen that smirk, that nod, they’ve heard the dog whistle ––they’ve heard their elders invoke real American greatness as coded permission to hate the world outside their tiny little bubble and they’re performing loyalty: vulgar, violent nature, because they believe that’s how to climb the ladder and they’re not wrong to think that. The modern GOP has made cruelty a currency, because mocking others isn’t some shameful act anymore –– it’s a test, a way to prove you’ll fight without conscience. These young men didn’t invent that ethos–– they learned it. They learned it from cable news hosts and campaign rallies where mockery earns applause; they learned it the leaders who praise fighters more than thinkers; who reward outrage over ethics, so when they traded these messages about rape and genocide and racial violence, they weren’t paying tribute to anything except for the culture you built for them.”
But the response of party leaders, especially J.D. Vance ––who may well be our next U.S. President –– was beyond lame; it featured blatant lying and some weird “whataboutism.” Vance dismissed the blowback as “pearl clutching” and characterized all these Young Republicans as “kids,” even though many of them were married with children, none of them were actually under the age of 21. The majority of those identified as key participants in the leaked group chat were described as between 24 and 34 years old, including state and national chapter leaders. The Young Republican National Federation itself spans an age range from 18 to 40, but the individuals most closely linked to sending offensive messages appear to be generally in their mid-20s to early 30s.
Vance also engaged in “whataboutism,” pointing to Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general in 2025. In text messages a couple of years ago Jones wished his political opponents would be murdered. Vance cited these messages as much worse than offensive comments made in a young Republicans’ group chat. Jones had publicly apologized for his violence-themed texts. The suggestion from Vance, of course, is that almost all political violence originates from “the left.”
But from 2011 to 2024, the U.S. has averaged approximately 20 right-wing terror incidents per year, compared to only about three incidents per year from left-wing sources. Notably, from 2011 to 2024, left-wing political violence caused 13 deaths, while right-wing violence resulted in 112 deaths. Experts and government data consistently show that the bulk of domestic terrorist activity and politically motivated violence has come from right-wing actors such as white supremacist groups, militia organizations, anti-government extremists, and conspiracy theorists.
But to hear GOP leaders tell it, the January 6th insurrection was all about the “peaceful tourists” (pardoned by Trump after fair trials), while the upcoming No Kings Day protests are “anti-American,” “Marxist,” and “extremist.” Meanwhile, prosecuting political opponents is proof of “manhood” and “power,” while Kristi Noem poses in front of El Salvador’s gulag. Never mind J.D. Vance, Trump’s heir apparent: Trump’s own policies have been widely criticized for embracing deliberate cruelty toward specific groups, including immigrants, LGBTQIA+ people, racial minorities, unhoused persons, and protestors.
Again, hate speech (and hateful policies) are “perfectly legal,” and hate speech is protected by the First Amendment (so says our Supreme Court). I would not change the First Amendment, but we should realize that hate speech is (by definition), hateful and divisive. Such speech must not be excused or encouraged; it is wrong for young white men, especially those who aspire to be leaders in our government, to think that their privilege and political standing make exclusionary and hateful messaging morally acceptable.
In fairness, we’re only talking about a dozen Young Republican “leaders,” not the entire party. But as Robert Arnold points out, just look at Trump’s rallies and the divisive, mocking tone he used to rile up his “base.” He has publicly mocked disabled people, transgender athletes, Muslims, and women. And according to Trump and his allies, if you demonstrate peacefully on this day, October 18, 2025, you are anti-American, an extremist, and an “antifa” terrorist.
Come to think of it, those little GOP acorns didn’t fall far from the Trumpian tree.
The GOP loves to embrace Jesus and Christianity; Kristi Noem and Karoline Leavitt are seldom seen publicly without those golden Christian crosses around their necks. But does the GOP truly embrace Christian love?
For my LinkedIn friends, please take note: none of this is good for business. A U.S. political party that embraces misogyny, racism, and antisemitism is not helpful to the economy or to businesses in general. Extensive research shows that the spread of hatred and division undermines social cohesion, increases political polarization, and leads to adverse economic consequences, including lower productivity, declining investment, increased volatility, and declining Congressional productivity, all of which increase risk and uncertainty for business planning and investment.
It may be politically potent to speak divisively these days in the U.S., but it does not and cannot further the public good.