A Vermont state lawmaker has resigned over racist and antisemitic chat messages that circulated within the Young Republican political group, another substantial consequence in a scandal that on Friday saw the New York state Young Republicans’ charter revoked.
State senator Samuel Douglass, the only elected official known to have taken part in the leaked group chat exposed by Politico, resigned Friday over his participation.
In a statement posted online, the 26-year-old Douglass said he was “deeply sorry for the offense” caused by his comments. He added that his decision to step down, effective Monday, “will upset many, and delight others, but in this political climate I must keep my family safe”.
Douglass had been under pressure from Vermont governor Phil Scott and state senate minority leader Scott Beck to step aside since Politico obtained and published the chats online.
In one exchange, Douglass replied to a message about a “very obese Indian woman” by saying: “She just didn’t bathe often.” In another, Douglass was said to have described how a Jewish person may have made a procedural error. His wife, Brianna Douglass, also on the chat, responded with an antisemitic remark, Politico reported.
Other messages in the chat reflected factional infighting in the Young Republicans that included calling Minnesotan members a slur for gay men and other LGBTQ+ people, Nebraskans “inbred cow fuckers” and members from Rhode Island “traitorous cunts”. There was a reference to a “fat stinky Jew” along with comments and jokes about gas chambers, torture and rape, according to Politico.
In his resignation statement, Douglass said the comment “was an unflattering remark about a specific individual, absolutely not a generalization” – and said he hoped to “mend bridges to the best of my ability”.
His statement also said that he and his wife, who have recently welcomed their first child, had received “some of the most horrific hate one could imagine”, including threats of violence.
Political violence has been a dominant topic in the US in part because of the 10 September killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the 14 June shootings that killed Minnesota’s former house speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounded state senator John Hoffman – her fellow Democrat – and his wife, Yvette.
Douglass said he had also “reached out to the majority of my Jewish and BIPOC [Black, Indigenous and people of color] friends and colleagues to ensure that they can be honest and up-front with me”.
Douglass and his wife had earlier resigned from their positions from the Vermont Young Republicans.
On Tuesday, after Politico reported on the Telegram chat, governor Scott said, “there is simply no excuse” for “the vile, racist, bigoted, and antisemitic dialogue”.
He added that “those involved should resign from their roles immediately and leave the Republican party – including Vermont state senator Sam Douglass”.
JD Vance downplayed the exchanges as “edgy” and “offensive jokes” told by “kids”, though most members of the group were between the ages of 24 and 35. Vance pointed to leaked messages sent by Jay Jones, a Democrat running for attorney general in Virginia, who suggested a political opponent deserved “two bullets to the head”.
“I really don’t want us to grow up in a country where a kid telling a stupid joke – telling a very offensive, stupid joke – is cause to ruin their lives,” Vance said, after in September he demanded consequences for those who made comments about Kirk’s death that he found to be offensive.
On Saturday, Beck said Douglass’s resignation marked the end of a “difficult week” in Vermont.
“Senator Douglass’ resignation is the first step in Vermont’s healing, and his family’s healing,” Beck told the Washington Post
