Members of the chat held various roles in Republican politics, including a Vermont state senator, a New York assemblyman’s chief of staff, an official at the U.S. Small Business Administration and a communications staffer in the Kansas attorney general’s office.
The reporting sent waves through political circles, as the Young Republican leaders mentioned in the story — from New York, Kansas, Arizona and Vermont — drew intense scrutiny and backlash, including from members of the GOP. Some were promptly fired from their positions, while others are facing calls to resign.
Vance, in his Wednesday interview, described the outrage following the Politico report as a form of cancel culture that needs to be stopped.
“At some point, we’re all going to have to say, ‘Enough of this BS. We’re not going to allow the worst moment in a 21-year-old’s group chat to ruin a kid’s life for the rest of time. That’s just not OK. … We’re not canceling kids because they do something stupid in a group chat.”
“And if I have to be the person who carries that message forward, I’m fine with it,” he said.
Vance said he would feel the same way if the participants of the chat were on the other side of the political spectrum.
“And by the way, if they were left-wing kids telling stupid left-wing jokes, I would also not want their lives to be ruined because they’re saying something stupid in a private group chat,” he added.
