A conservative communications strategist told MSNBC’s Al Sharpton that Vice President JD Vance had no excuse for failing to unequivocally condemn the racist Young Republican group chat that came to light in a report from Politico this week.
On Sunday’s Politics Nation, Sharpton said, “After the Politico story published, Vice President Vance severely downplayed the contents of the chat, referring to them as ‘edgy, offensive jokes’ and mocking the outrage over the chats as ‘pearl clutching.’ But the Republicans appear split on the issue. Some young Republican chapters have been closed down, and several lawmakers have fired staffers implicated in the chats.”
Sharpton then asked Brendan Buck, the former press secretary for House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), if he thought the GOP should hold those involved in the chat accountable.
“Well, it sounds like a lot of people are being held accountable,” Buck said. “And I think that’s good. I mean…this is not in any meaningful way ‘leadership’ of the Republican party. It is a Republican group that exists. And what is being shown, of course, is the type of thing that anybody should be removed from, whatever position they’re in, and that seems like it is happening. Now, J.D. Vance plays the politics of Donald Trump, which is, you never apologize, you never back down. You distract, you talk about something else. That’s not surprising.”
Sharpton pushed back on that assertion.
“You say this is not the ‘leadership’ of the party. J.D. Vance is the leader of the party. He’s playing it down. He’s even joking about it. And you said he’s in many ways voicing what Donald Trump does. So, they’re not the leaders of the party?”
“No, absolutely. I’m saying those people involved are not the leaders,” Buck said. “Yes, I think J.D. Vance — this should be very easy. You absolutely reject it. You condemn it. And you say, ‘Any of those people who talk like that have no place in the party. That’s simple. But that was apparently too far of a bridge for him to get to.”
Buck continued, “But a lot of people in the Republican party have responded that way, and I think that’s been the overwhelming response from people who are involved here. So, while certainly, J.D. Vance has a significant role, I agree he should clean that up. But I do want to say that the overwhelming majority of response has been to condemn these people and the comments they made.”
Buck, beyond his work for Boehner, has served as a counselor for former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and is, according to his Harvard University biography page, “one of Washington’s top communications strategists.”
Watch the clip above via MSNBC. And you can read Politico’s full report by clicking here.
The post ‘This Should Be Very Easy — You Absolutely Reject It’: Conservative Strategist Bashes JD Vance For Not Condemning Young Republican Chat first appeared on Mediaite.
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