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VP Vance calls criticism of Young Republicans ‘pearl clutching’
By Guy Page
The Vermont Republican Party Executive Committee Wednesday retracted a statement by Chair Paul Dame over the response to the controversy surrounding an apparent ethnic slur made by Sen. Sam Douglass (R-Orleans) on a Young Republican chat on the Telegram social media site.
The October 14 story in Politico has gained national attention, including an X post from VP J.D. Vance: “This [Jay Jones, VA Dem Attorney General story] is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia. I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence.”
Chair Paul Dame at noon today said he relieved Douglass of party duties, but stopped short of calling for him to immediately resign. In contrast, the executive committee later ‘retracted’ Dame’s statement several hours later. The committee joined Gov. Phil Scott and House and Senate GOP leaders call yesterday for Douglass, a freshman legislator, to unequivocally resign after learning of an exchange reported in the October 14 Politico:
In one instance, Walker — who at the time was a staffer for Ortt — talked about how a mutual friend of some in the chat “dated this very obese Indian woman for a period of time.”
“Giunta responded that the woman “was not Indian.”
“She just didn’t bathe often,” Samuel Douglass, a state senator from northern Vermont and the head of the state’s Young Republicans, replied to Giunta.
Timeline of statements today
Shortly after noon today, VTGOP Chairman Paul Dame issued the following statement (published in full):
“Yesterday’s story in Politico which included some of the language allegedly used in a private group chat among a group of Young Republicans was shocking and grotesque to all Republicans. Although the remarks attributed to Sen. Douglass themselves were not bigoted or racist, because of his participation in the group, it has reflected poorly on himself, our party and Young Republicans everywhere.
‘Sen. Douglass owes it to his colleagues and his constituents to address the issue publicly. Included in that statement should be a categorical condemnation of the vile remarks made by the other members and a clarification of whether he had seen these remarks at the time they were made and why he didn’t condemn the other participants at the time.
“Last week I applauded VA Delegate Carrie Coyner for confronting AG candidate Jay Jones for his awful private remarks at the time they were made, and I hold Sen. Douglass to the same standard. Republicans everywhere need to be vigilant and oppose these kinds of remarks, even when they are made in private.
“I am removing Sen. Douglass from duties he has at the state party effective immediately until this matter is resolved.
“If Sen. Douglass can not meet the minimum standard for informing the public about issues he is involved in, then I will also join the Governor and legislative colleagues in calling on him to resign.”
At 4:38 PM, Douglass issued this apology but did not agree to resign, saying he would issue a statement later in the week. The statement is published below in full:
‘I completely denounce and fully condemn the vile and disgusting comments included in the POLITICO article and I have cut all ties with those involved. My role in the group chat in question was a procedural one about bylaws and floor strategy. There were often periods of multiple days when I didn’t check this group chat and I was unfortunately unaware of those comments. I should’ve been more vigilant, more careful, and less naive about who I associate with and my digital environments. I will continue to call out this behavior whenever I see it. The comment attributed to me in the article was not a generalization and doesn’t represent my views or character. I apologize so deeply to my constituents and colleagues that our county and state have been dragged into this. I am currently weighing all my options to ensure that the outcome of this is what’s best for the safety and wellbeing of my family and my constituency, and I will make another statement before the end of the week.”
Following both Dame’s and Douglass’s statements, at 8:06 PM the Executive Committee issued a statement retracting Dame’s statement (published in full):
“The Vermont Republican Party (“VTGOP”) Executive Committee stands united with Governor Phil Scott and the Republican Senate and House leadership and calls for the immediate resignation of Senator Sam Douglass. The VTGOP Executive Committee condemns the hateful, racist, and antisemitic messages revealed in a national Young Republican group chat.
“Vermont Republicans believe in personal responsibility, respect for others, and the dignity of every individual. Those values are not negotiable. We will meet this moment with action to ensure that our Party always reflects the decency, fairness, and respect that Vermonters expect, and our Party was founded.
“The VTGOP Executive Committee unanimously supports this statement and issues a full, complete retraction of the previously issued statement by Chairman Paul Dame.”
Dame, a member of the committee, reportedly was involved in the retraction.
Vermont Young Republican Chairwoman Chelsea Rowell also published a statement:
“On behalf of the Vermont Young Republicans, I must state clearly that racism, discrimination, and hateful behavior have no place in our organization or in public life. The comments in recent reports do not reflect the values of integrity, respect, and responsibility that we uphold. Our focus remains on fostering principled leadership and strengthening our movement through character and accountability.
“With that being said, Chairman Samuel Douglass and Committeewoman Brianna Douglass have resigned from their positions at Vermont Young Republicans. The organization will move forward under my leadership, and we will continue to work toward training, recruiting, and electing young Republicans in Vermont. We will continue to fight for a Vermont our children can be proud of.”
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Categories: politics
Question for V p J. D. Vance. What is the real story about Charlie Kirk???? Inquiring minds would like the truth. Comment from Richard Day.
What another conspiracy theory, give it up.
I was so hopeful…..but then nonsense like this…..here is a different perspective.
https://youtu.be/ziEPVfuGBrc
If we allow ourselves to be cancelled of saying something stupid, over being called racist, over being called misogynistic, we have already lost to democratic cancel culture that changes the rules to words every 5 minutes.
We are helping them, we are keeping good people from running for office, because we make the standard so high, everybody knows they can be cancelled from some act they did in high school, from some post they put on-line.
We are ALL, ALL, ALL, ALL, sinners, NONE of us are perfect, nor will we ever be.
Meanwhile we are fed a constant stream of huge lies and propaganda from within our own party.
How about the mandate on covid shots? I’d say far, far worse, very few were asking about any resignations!
How about calling our government a Democracy? They should be thrown out of office for that one surely, it’s their job and they don’t even know what the job description is!
How about defending 2a and article 16??? Yeah, what about that one?????
How about representatives being bought for $1,000,000…..Balint and word???
How about nobody talking about censorship in all our propaganda outlets?????
If this is the best the VTGOP can do, we are most definitely doomed.
VTGOP has just printed a voucher for the “liberal” Thought Police to live rent-free in their heads, effectively inoculating (oh, the irony) the next campaign cycle.
R.I.P.
Tyler, it appears that the Douglas’s have both admitted to making the alleged statements attributed to them. And they have set a higher bar in doing so for all to follow. The next time a progressive/liberal refers to conservatives as racist, fascist, misogynistic, supremacists, may the same fate rain down upon them with equal ferocity.
And in that regard, let’s see who Governor Scott appoints to take Douglas’s place.
Imagine if you will the comedian Don Rickles coming onto the stage today.
I could use a dose of that free speech.
Despite saying these statements don’t represent his beliefs or who he really is, it would appear that these are his beliefs and who he really is.
We could spend a long time equivocating, defending or attempting to deflect but at the end of the day he – and others- cannot be the future.
Aren’t we really better than this?
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/10/15/nolte-we-are-not-same-gop-condemns-racist-young-republican-texts-democrats-stand-by-death-wisher-jay-jones/
Paul Dame and Phil Scott are just RINO’s, who cares even if they switch parties at this point, they never condemned personally the actions of Jay Jones, that shows they are weak, afraid to express your own opinions is why we are in the state of confusion, heck when did we ever hear Philip Phlop remark about the Northfield “boys in girls locker case” , further testament about who he really is, he can’t run again can he. As far a Paul, bye bye and good riddance, his career as a republican should be over.
Here is how the game is played.
Do opposition research and find something somebody did in their past that was questionable or stupid or racist.
Paint that as the entirety of this person.
Cancel them.
This is also how they have canceled every influential conservative person.
This is also how they cancel the police, find some cop who is racist, or perhaps has done something wrong and broad cast it week after week, month after month and paint this as the representative of the police force, thereby all cops are bad. It is true, one cop did something bad, but that side steps and hides the fact that there were millions upon millions of cops having interactions with the public and everything went well. So now we have to get rid of the police force.
And this is how the publish the entire republican party is racist…..
This is how good propaganda works, it’s true but doesn’t paint the entire picture.
Nobody could withstand such scrutiny as those they review.
What is the entirety of this young man’s work? People could care less, he’s done something wrong he must be cancelled, my guess is he might be effective, they don’t cancel non-threatening people.
Who did Jesus hang out with? The Pharisees or the sinners? If you don’t know you are a sinner, you’re in the other group.
Matthew 7:3-5
English Standard Version
3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye
Perhaps Sam learned a valuable lesson about party loyalty among leaders. There is none. They’ll throw anyone under the bus in a heartbeat if they think it will score selection poll points somewhere, anywhere.
They will also milk a cash cow, a psyop, a media planted smear campaign drier than the bones of the dead. There is no honor among thieves. It worked as designed and the good cop/bad cop performance continues because it does work.
Now, can anyone figure out what is really going on while the distractions keep coming like the blitz over London? Wars, rumors of war, weath transfer, construction of digital prison planet, outer space galactic federation incoming?
By the way, Eric Trump declared “they are saving God.” Talk about a haughty spirit and I wouldn’t be standing to close to that guy from here on out.
Oh my, I hope somebody corrects him on that one. You’d think after 2 divine interventions…they would be on their knees, saying, Thank you Lord Jesus.
With a White House spiritual advisor like Paula – send me $1000 for Easter blessings – White? They certainly can repent – they can certainly give up their worldy possessions and worldly desires – be humbled and sin no more. It takes courage and it takes an unwavering, leap of faith – from their perch, it is a long way to fall – their choice, their free will.
The other, perhaps biggest tell this is broadcast to the uniparty to talk about, it was published in VTDigger, Spoken by Rinos and made national press all on the same day, that is not a coincidence, that is direct evidence of propaganda, it didn’t happen by accident, it was all done at one time, everybody was told what to do and say and when to say it, and they all complied, immediately. This proves the uniparty is alive and well. Talk about goose stepping, oh my, do we all have to wear brown too?
In all conspiracy theories the future will expose the truth. Comment from Richard Day.
Democrats like Ilan Omar make offensive remarks on a daily basis and not a single Republican calls for their dismissal, but a Republican makes a misstep and those sleeping Republicans turn into attack dogs, virtue signaling with all their might. The ultimate victory is when Democrats get the Republicans to do their work for them.
Hey Republicans, be careful when falling off that turnip truck!
What are the lessons that can be learned from this incident.
1.) In this day and age you need to assume anything you write in any format over the internet is not private and you need to be careful with your words, especially if you are a public official.
2.) If you say somthing explicitly racist, sexist or advocating violence against others, you need to understand there will be consequences for you and for what you advocate.
3.) Simply saying you are sorry is not enough. You may or may not lose what you have, but in any case you will have to re-earn people’s trust. This takes time and shown committment to doing better.
4.) One standard should apply to all no matter what their political affiliation or beliefs.
Finally, a thanks to the Vermont Daily Chronical for leading by example and providing a place where ” All topics and opinions are welcome! No mocking or personal criticism of other commenters, No profanity, explicityly racist or sexist language allowed” and “real full names are required”.
Alex? Who is the only one person that can fulfill those commandments?
Those 10 commandments..??
Alex, “Who is Jesus Christ.”
The standard you speak of was taught to us by Jesus, and we all fall short.
That is the power of cancel culture, we are all screw ups, it’s only a matter of degree. By the standards you are proposing and the VTGOP is “enforcing” NOBODY, NOBODY can fill the shoes, well except for Jesus and he doesn’t need to run, he already is King of Kings. Maybe this is his way of steering us?
We’ve effectively cancelled anyone even thinking of running for office on the VTGOP ticket, because with even a modicum of self-reflection, we quickly say, I don’t want people bringing up my dirty laundry.
And here we go again, ready for trouncing by the uniparty once again. Lord help us please.
The Vermont GOP has been caught in a web spun by extremist media. If someone rarely showers, stating that fact isn’t racist; it’s simply the truth. This is why I stand firmly behind President Trump—he’s unapologetically genuine and speaks candidly. The Vermont GOP needs to take a stand and denounce the Democrats for their intimidation of conservative voices. Thanks to President Trump, I still identify as a Republican, but I’m open to the idea of becoming an independent. It’s time for stronger leadership!
Re: “If someone rarely showers, stating that fact isn’t racist;… ”
Context, Rohan. Context. When someone states that someone rarely showers in the context of being of Indian descent, … even when the remark is gently poking fun at cultural or ethnic differences in a friendly, non-malicious way, aiming to amuse rather than offend, it smacks of inherent racism.
With no offense meant toward pigs…. try as we might, we can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear.
Postscript: I support almost everything President Trump and his team are doing. But I don’t always support the way they communicate with us. None the less, ….
“I went down to the demonstration to get my fair share of abuse. Singing, ‘We’re gonna vent our frustration. If we don’t, we’re going to blow a 50-amp fuse’. You can’t always get what you want. But if you try some time, you just might find, you get what you need.”
This is why Paul Dame should not be Chairman of the Vermont Republican Party. One word sums it up – SOFT.
“ A dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. A lack of consideration for others in minor matters, a loss of politeness of gentle manners, is more significant than a riot” – Robert L. Heinlein, from Friday and also author of Stranger in a Strange Land
So, the Democrats are a “dying culture”?