Samuel Douglass was reportedly the only elected official to take part in the Young Republican group chat that included racist and antisemitic messages. A Vermont state senator has resigned over his involvement in a Young Republican group chat after racist and antisemitic messages shared among its members were made public. Republican Samuel Douglass announced his resignation, effective Monday, in a lengthy statement Friday, adding that he was “deeply sorry for the offense” caused by his comments. Politico had reported on the leaked Telegram messages from a group chat including Young Republican leaders from Vermont, New York, Arizona and Kansas. The messages spanned 2,900 pages of chats over a roughly seven-month period and contained racist comments and jokes about gas chambers, torture and rape, according to Politico. Douglass, a first-term state senator, was the only elected official in the chat, the outlet reported. The leaked exchanges have sparked condemnation from Democrats and many Republicans, with the Young Republican national board saying it was “appalled by the vile and inexcusable language.” New York Republican Party officials voted to suspend its Young Republican chapter Friday. Vice President JD Vance has downplayed the incident, dismissing the messages as “edgy” and “offensive jokes” told by “kids” — despite many of the participants being in their 20s and 30s. Douglass was reported to have contributed to the chat on at least two instances, including responding to a comment another member of the group made about a person who dated an “obese Indian woman.” When someone replied the woman was “not an Indian,” Douglass said: “She just didn’t bathe often,” Politico reported. In a separate comment, Douglass was said to have described how a Jewish person may have made a procedural error. His wife, Brianna Douglass, who was also involved in the chat in her role as a committee member for Vermont’s Young Republicans, responded with an antisemitic remark, Politico reported. The couple have both resigned from their positions in the Vermont Young Republicans, Chairwoman Chelsea Magwire said in a statement, adding that “racism, discrimination and hateful behavior have no place in our organization.”
via washington post: Vermont state senator resigns over racist Young Republican chat messages