Jewish Democrats in the US launch ads against Young Republicans — Jerusalem Post

The Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) has launched a social media advertising campaign in the United States against representatives of Young Republicans youth organizations. The videos on Meta platforms concern messages from Telegram chats that included favorable references to Adolf Hitler and antisemitic tropes, The Jerusalem Post reports.

The ads refer to thousands of messages in a group chat where participants, among other things, discussed using gas chambers against political opponents. The videos also show messages such as “I love Hitler,” which Politico published last year in an investigation into correspondence among leaders of young Republican groups from different states.

Campaign for young voters

The campaign includes a clip of a speech by US Vice President J.D. Vance. Responding to the messages, he said that they would not “cancel kids” because they did something stupid in a group chat. In another clip, a PBS host warns that such statements may reflect the rhetoric of future Republican Party leaders.

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JDCA CEO Halie Soifer said the ads are intended to remind young Jewish voters of what she considers the dangerous extremism of the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections. According to an organization representative, the campaign costs about $300,000. It targets Jewish voters in Ohio, Michigan, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Iowa, as well as congressional districts that the Cook Political Report classifies as competitive.

Reaction to the chat revelations

After Politico published its investigation, the Kansas Young Republicans club and the statewide New York Young Republicans organization ceased operations. At the same time, the New York Young Republicans Club in New York continued operating and held a gala in December, inviting white nationalists and people who spread antisemitic conspiracy theories.

One young Republican whose “I love Hitler” message appeared in the investigation denied antisemitism and explained his words as “a dark sense of humor.” Vance also called such messages “edgy, offensive jokes.” Representatives of Young Republicans did not respond to journalists’ request for comment.