A recent Politico article has exposed a leaked group chat involving Young Republican leaders from across the United States, revealing numerous racist, homophobic, and misogynistic comments. Among those implicated are two individuals from Arizona, one of whom has documented ties to the white nationalist groyper movement.
### Leaked Group Chat: “RESTOREYR”
The group chat, dubbed “RESTOREYR,” included top officials from various Young Republican Federation chapters nationwide. Politico’s report detailed a litany of offensive remarks made by participants, including racist slurs targeting Black people, suggestions of putting Democrats in gas chambers, discussions about forcibly raping political opponents, and more. The chat reportedly contained over 250 slurs and at least one participant expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler.
### Involvement of Arizona Young Republican Leaders
One member implicated in the chat is Luke Mosiman, 25, the Arizona Young Republican Chairman. Allegations against Mosiman include making racially charged comments about Black people and proposing the controversial idea of associating their electoral opponents with white supremacist groups. He later acknowledged this tactic could backfire, potentially driving away Young Republicans they needed to secure victory.
Following the publication of the Politico report, the Young Republican National Federation condemned the remarks and called for all individuals involved to resign from their state and local positions. Similarly, the Kansas Republican Party’s chairman announced the closure of their Young Republicans chapter implicated in the leaks. The Arizona Republican Party also issued a strong statement denouncing the “disturbing language” used by Young Republican leaders.
### Resistance to Resignation Calls
Despite mounting pressure, Mosiman and fellow Arizona Young Republican member Rachel Hope, the organization’s events chair, resisted calls for their resignation. In a written statement released late Wednesday, the Arizona Young Republicans characterized both Mosiman and Hope as victims, asserting their firm rejection of what they described as an “ongoing political witch hunt targeting fellow Young Republican members.”
Their statement expressed disappointment at what they called a “double standard” within the conservative movement and accused critics of ignoring violent rhetoric from other political figures, including Virginia Democratic Attorney General candidate Jay Jones and social media posts celebrating the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, who passed away last month.
The group did condemn “Nazi ideology” in their statement, although they stopped short of acknowledging the specific comments or issuing a formal apology. The statement reads:
“We express our sincere regret and unequivocally condemn any rhetoric that could be interpreted as sympathetic to Nazi ideology.”
Additionally, the group raised concerns about the methods used to obtain the leaked messages and questioned their authenticity.
### Allegations of the Leak’s Source
Far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos claimed online that the chats were leaked by Gavin Wax, a Trump State Department staffer and former leader of the New York Young Republicans. Wax’s own problematic group chats were exposed in 2023, adding further layers to the controversy.
### Mosiman’s Ties to the Groyper Movement and Far-Right Extremism
Luke Mosiman has been viewed by some as a rising star in Arizona conservative politics; however, his associations with far-right groups and figures have long courted controversy.
#### Hitler’s Birthday Event in Tempe
In April 2022, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar was listed as a “special guest” at an event organized by the American Populist Union (APU) in Tempe scheduled for April 20—a date revered by white supremacists and neo-Nazis as Adolf Hitler’s birthday. The APU is closely aligned with the groyper movement, a group of young male white nationalists who aim to mainstream their ideology within the Republican Party. The groypers largely follow white nationalist Nick Fuentes.
Although Gosar ultimately pulled out of the event following national media scrutiny, Mosiman attended and was prominently featured in photos and videos posted by the APU celebrating the event. Mosiman also follows several social media accounts connected to the groyper movement.
In March 2021, Mosiman tweeted:
“Like it or not, Nick Fuentes is becoming a force in the GOP, you all need to understand that. Stop acting like it’s a few nut cases, it’s not. Ignoring it isn’t working.”
While denying direct support for Fuentes, Mosiman acknowledged watching Fuentes’ 2021 America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC) speech, describing it as “not bad.” The AFPAC speech notably downplayed the January 6 insurrection—where seven people died—as “lighthearted mischief” and included white nationalist rhetoric.
#### Additional Far-Right Activities
In September 2021, Mosiman was photographed protesting U.S. Senator Mark Kelly alongside the groyper-aligned Arizona College Republicans United. The photo was shared on Instagram with the caption: “CRU executed a protest with Groypers against Senator Mark Kelly.”
John Doyle, a far-right YouTuber who spoke at the April 2022 APU event alongside Mosiman, is known for his highly misogynistic content, including statements opposing women’s right to vote. Doyle and other APU members also attended “76Fest,” an event described by one organizer as “Hitler Youth, without the Hitler.”
In December 2021, Mosiman promoted an event organized by Republicans for National Renewal, a group with ethno-nationalist ties, co-hosted by APU. This event brought local politicians face-to-face with several far-right extremists, including prominent groypers.
The APU has denied any ties to white nationalism or awareness of the significance of the 4/20 event date.
### Connections with Turning Point USA and Local Politicians
Mosiman’s involvement in Arizona politics extends beyond the groyper movement. Online, he has often interacted with various local politicians and has publicly supported conservative youth organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA).
In 2022, Mosiman tweeted:
“I used to be not a huge fan of TPUSA, but after seeing hard working and effective conservatives like (Austin Smith) and (Tyler Bowyer), I changed my mind.”
Smith and Bowyer are leaders of Arizona’s TPUSA chapter and are listed as members of the advisory team for the Arizona Young Republicans led by Mosiman.
On November 11, 2024, shortly after last year’s election, Mosiman praised TPUSA’s political impact in Arizona:
“Without a doubt, Turning Point Action had the most meaningful grassroots impact on Arizona. Hats off to (Tyler Bowyer) and his phenomenal staff.”
Bowyer serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Turning Point Action, the political action arm of TPUSA.
Requests for comment from TPUSA, as well as Arizona Republican figures Nancy Cottle, State Rep. Matt Gress, and GOP State Sen. Jake Hoffman—who are also advisory board members—were not returned.
### Conclusion
The leaked group chat scandal has highlighted deep and troubling connections between parts of the Young Republican leadership and far-right extremist groups, raising concerns about the direction and values within certain factions of the GOP. The resistance from key Arizona leaders to calls for accountability further complicates efforts to address and mitigate the impact of these revelations.
https://www.rawstory.com/young-republican-at-center-of-racist-scandal-whines-of-disheartening-witch-hunt/