Politico’s recent dump of leaked Telegram messages involving Young Republican leaders has set off the predictable media feeding frenzy, with headlines blaring “I love Hitler” and replaying the worst of what was said. The messages, which Politico reported from roughly 2,900 pages of chat logs, include genuinely vile rhetoric—antisemitic and racist taunts and even talk of gas chambers—that deserve condemnation and consequence. Americans who love their country should be sickened by words that mirror the darkest parts of human history, and those who crossed lines must be held accountable.
At the same time, conservatives should be frank: the reaction has also been political theater, aimed at smearing an entire generation of activists and turning private stupidity into a poster child for the left’s narrative about the right. Several named participants have been removed from positions or lost jobs in the wake of the revelations, and chapters have been suspended while the organization scrambles to respond. We demand accountability, but we should insist that it be measured, factual, and not a campaign to purge dissenting voices from civic life.
We should question the provenance and timing of leaked materials, and how outlets like Politico choose which private conversations to amplify. Claims have already surfaced that internal infighting and political rivalries helped drive the leak, which suggests this was not a neutral exposé but part of internecine combat dressed up as public-interest journalism. The public deserves transparency about who provided these messages and why, because selective leaks weaponized by well-funded media outlets become a tool for political destruction rather than truth.
Meanwhile, prominent Democrats and some establishment voices have called for investigations and resignations, turning the story into a congressional spectacle before investigations have concluded. California’s governor publicly urged probes and national media demanded immediate purges, while other mainstream conservatives urged a calmer, more deliberative response. This is how cancel culture metastasizes: outrage is manufactured, consequences are demanded, and nuance gets bulldozed by headline pressure.
Conservative leaders must do two things at once: condemn and remove those who trafficked in vile rhetoric, and resist letting a biased press define our movement by the worst behavior of a few. Vice President J.D. Vance’s blunt reaction—that some dismissed the uproar as “kids being stupid”—may have been clumsy, but it reflected a concern about overreaction and the rush to guilt by association. We can deplore the messages without surrendering to a media narrative that seeks to collapse every youthful indiscretion into an indictment of the entire right.
Finally, patriotic conservatives should use this moment to recommit to higher standards in our ranks and to fight media malice that treats private conversations as a lifetime sentence. Clean house where necessary, enforce accountability, and teach young activists the seriousness of public life — but do not allow Politico and its allies to weaponize leaks into a permanent branding campaign against conservative youth. Stand firm for truth, fairness, and the idea that a free movement must be able to police its own without surrendering to the mob.
