Exposed WhatsApp Chats Uncover Racist Language and Extremist Views Among Miami GOP Student Leaders
WhatsApp messages leaked to the public have unveiled a troubling group chat initiated by the secretary of the Miami-Dade County Republican Party, intended for conservative students. This chat quickly devolved into a space rife with racist slurs, violent language, and extremist ideologies.
Involvement from student leaders affiliated with Republican organizations at Florida International University has drawn the attention of university officials, who confirmed that the matter is now under criminal investigation.
Over a span of three weeks last fall, the chat's exchanges were marked by an alarming frequency of racial and antisemitic slurs, derogatory remarks about women, and references to Adolf Hitler alongside white supremacist beliefs. Reports indicate that variations of the n-word appeared more than 400 times within the chat logs.
William Bejerano, one of the participants, shockingly detailed violent fantasies against Black individuals, suggesting acts such as "crucifying, beheading and dissecting people." Another participant, Dariel Gonzalez, who held the position of College Republicans recruitment chairman at the time, advised others to "avoid the coloreds like the plague," justifying his use of the term "colored" by claiming he was told "we can't say black anymore."
Ian Valdes, president of FIU's Turning Point USA chapter, also contributed to the chat. He notably renamed the group to "Gooning in Agartha," a term linked to a mythical underground realm associated with white supremacist narratives. Gonzalez characterized Agartha as "Nazi heaven sort of," while Valdes described it as "esoteric nazism essentially."
Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, remarked on the implications of such references, indicating a troubling familiarity with extremist ideologies. "If you're using the term Agartha, you have spent some time reading about white supremacy and Nazis," she stated.
Abel Carvajal, who established the chat group, claimed he had not monitored the messages closely until approached by media representatives. "It's been five months since this was sent and this is the first time I've seen this message," he commented. While acknowledging his role in creating the group, Carvajal expressed that he would have expelled participants had he been aware of the violent content sooner.
Kevin Cooper, chairman of the Miami-Dade Republican Party, condemned the statements made within the chat as "shocking and appalling," asserting that anyone involved should resign.
This incident emerges amidst ongoing discussions regarding extremist rhetoric permeating U.S. politics. Earlier this year, union leaders and labor historians criticized the Department of Labor for echoing nationalist sentiments after releasing a video captioned "One Homeland. One People. One Heritage." The agency defended its message as a celebration of American workers.
Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security faced backlash for employing imagery and language derived from right-wing meme culture in recruitment efforts during the Trump administration. Critics argued that such messaging risked amplifying extremist narratives, while officials maintained that it was aimed at engaging new online audiences.
