South Florida Republican and Democratic politicians, along with other community leaders, are condemning the racist messages in a WhatsApp group chat that was started last fall by the secretary of Miami-Dade County鈥檚 Republican Party for conservative students at Florida International University.
The chats, reported Wednesday by the and The Floridian, a conservative online outlet, contained hundreds of uses of the n-word and many other instances of antisemitic and anti-gay slurs, replete with references to Nazi Germany.
鈥淎ntisemitism and racism have no place in our society. We strongly condemn and find despicable the vile and unacceptable language that has been discovered in a group chat associated with the Miami Dade County鈥檚 Republican Party Secretary,鈥� a joint statement from Republican state Sens. Ana Maria Rodriguez, Ileana Garcia and Alexis Calatayud said.
鈥淭he statements made by those individuals clarify their moral and intellectual corruption and demonstrate a complete misalignment with core, shared American values," said the GOP lawmakers.
鈥淲e call for the resignation of the Secretary, immediately. We call for the immediate expulsion of the individuals disseminating from any level of leadership of the Miami-Dade Republican Party,鈥� the statement continued.
afternoon, FIU President Jeanette M. Nu帽ez said the university "does not and will not tolerate violence, hate, discrimination, harassment, racism or antisemitism."
"This is not who we are. This is not what FIU stands for," she said.
She said the FIU police department is working with local, state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate. The FIU Office of Civil Rights and the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity are also conducting an investigation.
Nu帽ez urged anyone with information to visit or call 844-234-7742.
FIU officials told the Miami Herald the WhatsApp chat conversation is part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
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State Rep. Ashley V. Gantt, D-Miami, said she was 鈥渄isgusted by the racist, antisemitic, and violent language exposed in a group chat hosted by the Secretary of the Miami-Dade County Republican Party.鈥�
鈥淭here are messages calling for the killing and maiming of Black people and repeatedly using the n-word derogatory slur,鈥� she said in a statement on Thursday. 鈥淭his is a clear example of the vitriol that Black communities are continuously gaslighted about when statements are made that we are a colorblind country.
鈥淭he blatant racism and detestable behavior exhibited in the group must be met with immediate action.鈥�
Widespread condemnation
Gantt joined with others in calling for a deep investigation by top FIU officials and the immediate removal of Miami GOP Secretary, Abel Alexander Carvajal; Dariel Gonzalez from the FIU College Republicans Membership Director, and Ian Valdes from his position as FIU Chapter President of Turning Point USA.
Miami-Dade Republican Party Chairman Kevin J. Cooper condemned the 鈥渞acist group chat,鈥� saying the party鈥檚 board voted to request Carvajal resign from his position.
鈥淗is words and actions are reprehensible and are completely inconsistent with the values of the Republican Party of Miami-Dade County,鈥� Cooper. 鈥淭he words and actions of this individual does not speak for our Party.鈥�
Republican state Rep. Juan Porras, of Miami, posted on X that news of the group chat was 鈥渄eeply disturbing and completely unacceptable.鈥�
Unlike Democrats, will hold our party officials accountable. Please see my statement below in regard to comments made by a member of the board.
— Juan C. Porras (@JuanPorrasFL)
Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chair Laura Kelley said Carvajal's role was "deeply disturbing."
"As elected officials, we are supposed to be role models to our young people; instead, his actions have sent the wrong message and fallen far short of the standards of integrity and accountability our community deserves," Kelley said in a statement.
Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen, who also is ice Chair of the Florida Democratic Party, called the reported the chats "morally reprehensible."
"As a Black woman and the daughter of immigrants, I understand how dangerous rhetoric rooted in racism and antisemitism can be," she said. "For Black and Jewish communities across South Florida, language that glorifies violence and dehumanizes people is not just offensive; it echoes a painful history that we must never allow ourselves to repeat."
Justin Mendoza Routt, president of the Miami-Dade Young Democrats and a state house candidate for District 113, said 鈥淔lorida International University and the Miami-Dade Republican Party of Florida owe our community apologies, and detailed explanations on forms of accountability for those involved.鈥�
鈥淲e must continue working to ensure that our civic and political spaces are inclusive, respectful, and representative of the people they serve."
"I am horrified as a Jewish woman, and mother, to read the leadership of the Miami-Dade Republican Party write, 'I would def not marry a Jew' and 'I refused to be indoctrinated by the coloreds',鈥� said Ashley Litwin Diego, Democratic candidate for Florida House District 106.
鈥淭his goes beyond vile language, it's antisemitism seeping deeper into our community,鈥� Litwin Diego said in a statement.
'Must be swift action, full repudiation'
Christian Ulvert, President and CEO of EDGE Communications and top political advisor to Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, the emergence of the 鈥渧ile and antisemitic messages鈥� in the WhatsApp chat conversations led by the Miami-Dade Republican secretary 鈥渟hould open the eyes to many in our community as racial slurs, antisemitic rhetoric, and jokes about violence against Black Americans are shared without concern.鈥�
鈥淭his is bigger than one group chat or one party official,鈥� Ulvert said in a statement. 鈥淭here must be swift action and a full repudiation of the language, the ideas, and the people participating in this chat.
鈥淭his is the same Miami-Dade Republican Party that is actively pushing a recall effort against Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, the county's first woman and first Jewish mayor,鈥� Ulvert said. 鈥淭hey want voters to trust their judgment about who should lead this community, while their own leadership was running a group chat filled with racism and antisemitism.鈥�
鈥淏efore the Miami-Dade GOP tries to remove anyone from office, it needs to clean its own house,鈥� he said.
State Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens, said he was 鈥渙utraged and deeply disturbed鈥� by the WhatsApp text messages.
鈥淟anguage that demeans Black residents, Jewish people, or any community is not only offensive 鈥� it is dangerous,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚t fuels the very hate and division that too many families in our country have suffered from for generations.鈥�
鈥淟et me be clear: there must be real accountability,鈥� Jones said in a statement. 鈥淲ords like these cannot simply be dismissed as jokes, private conversations, or poor judgment. They reflect attitudes that are incompatible with leadership in a community as diverse and proud as Miami-Dade.
鈥淗ate has no place in Miami-Dade, and those who promote it should not represent our community,鈥� Jones said.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this story.
