Republicans condemn racist group chat created by Miami GOP official
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The Florida International University campus Photo: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Racist and antisemitic messages leaked from a group chat created by the secretary of Miami-Dade County's Republican Party have sparked bipartisan condemnation and efforts by local Republicans to remove the official.
The big picture: The group chat, whose contents were reported by the Miami Herald and The Floridian, is the latest example of young conservatives in Miami and elsewhere using extremist language in private.
Zoom in: The group chat was created by Miami-Dade Republican Party secretary Abel Carvajal, primarily for conservative students, the Herald reported.
- It included campus leaders like the president of Florida International University's Turning Point USA chapter and the then-recruitment chair from FIU's College Republicans.
- The messages included racist and antisemitic slurs, references to Nazi politics, and comments about violently killing Black people.
- The chat was renamed "Gooning in Agartha," a reference to masturbating in a mythical white civilization promoted by Nazis, the Herald reported.
The blowback: The Miami-Dade Republican Party issued a statement condemning the "racist group chat." The party said a majority of its board had called for Carvajal to resign and that it had begun removal proceedings.
- "Racism, antisemitism and hatred of any kind have no place in our party, our community, our country," the statement said, "and the language that has been revealed falls far below the standard expected of anyone in a leadership role."
- Carvajal, who is a member of Hialeah's Planning and Zoning Board, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Republican Party of Florida also condemned the "repugnant comments made by a few individuals in a group chat" and said it was reviewing the matter.
- Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott responded to the post on X, saying he was glad the state party was investigating.
- He said he expected "anyone who engaged in this horrible behavior to be held accountable."
- "Racists and antisemites are not welcome in the Republican Party."
What they're saying: Carvajal told the Herald that he generally ignored the group chat and had not seen much of what had been posted, although the newspaper reported that he had deleted 42 of his own messages in the chat.
- He said that by creating the group chat, he had "facilitated this kind of deranged stuff being out there."
- "I'm at a loss of words."
What's next: FIU — which had similar group chat controversies in years past — told the Herald "the alleged conduct is under review and will be addressed in accordance with the university's policies and applicable law."