Bobby Walker's Controversial Text Messages Have Become a National News Story

Thanks to reporting from Politico, the internet is abuzz with a story about the private messages being passed back and forth by some members of Young Republicans. These messages include instances of overt racism and antisemitism, and as a result, they have led to questions about the future of the Republican Party.

One Young Republican member who is featured prominently in these messages is Bobby Walker, the head of the New York State Young Republicans. Following the revelation that his texts include racist and derogatory statements, many wanted to know more about Bobby. Here's what we know.

Bobby Walker is now the head of the New York State Young Republicans, although most of his public social media accounts have been taken down in the wake of the reporting about his texts. In the story from Politico, though, Walker is accused of calling rape "epic" and also of participating in a conversation about sending political opponents to gas chambers.

Walker spoke to Politico for the story, and said that the messages “may have been altered, taken out of context, or otherwise manipulated” and that the “private exchanges were obtained and released in a way clearly intended to inflict harm.”

He also apologized, though, acknowledging that the language he used in the messages was unacceptable, and pledging to learn from the public backlash.

“There is no excuse for the language and tone in messages attributed to me. The language is wrong and hurtful, and I sincerely apologize,” Walker said. “This has been a painful lesson about judgment and trust, and I am committed to moving forward with greater care, respect, and accountability in everything I say and do.”

Although Bobby was just one of several Young Republicans implicated by the messages, Politico reported that it cost him a real career opportunity. He was slated to be brought on to manage the campaign of Republican Peter Oberacker during his run for Congress in upstate New York. Following the revelation of these messages, though, the campaign clarified that he would not be brought on after all.

Walker is also accused of using a common slur for the LGBTQ+ community and of participating in other racist conversations. Overall, Walker's presence in the chat, and the chat as a whole, seem to suggest that at least some Young Republicans are not overly worried about what they say to one another in private, and that those messages take dark, openly derogatory turns on a regular basis.

While Politico's story doesn't implicate any national figures, it does suggest that the future of the Republican Party might be characterized by more and more open misogyny and racism. To their credit, these men have apologized for their word choices, but that apology might mean that they're sorry they said those things, or that they're sorry they got caught saying them.