A political controversy erupted in South Florida this week after a leaked messaging group containing offensive and extremist remarks sparked outrage and prompted an internal investigation within the Miami-Dade County Republican Party.

The controversy centers on a private WhatsApp group chat that reportedly included numerous racist, antisemitic, and misogynistic messages exchanged among young conservative activists connected to the party. The chat was originally created last fall by a party secretary to connect students at Florida International University in Miami, but the conversation soon deteriorated into a stream of discriminatory comments and inflammatory language targeting multiple groups.

According to reporting by The Miami Herald, screenshots from the chat show messages containing slurs directed at Black and Jewish individuals. Additional screenshots were also published by The Floridian, a conservative news outlet. A participant in the group confirmed to The New York Times that the messages circulating online appear to accurately reflect the content of the original chat.

Some of the messages included disturbing statements about violence against Black people, while others warned members of the group against forming romantic relationships with Jewish women. Other posts reportedly referenced Adolf Hitler’s political ideology, mocked LGBTQ individuals, and used derogatory language toward women.

Following the leak, officials at Florida International University confirmed that the matter is now under criminal investigation. University spokeswoman Maydel Santana stated that the institution is reviewing the allegations and will address the issue according to university policies and relevant legal standards.

The WhatsApp group was reportedly created by Abel Alexander Carvajal, a 23-year-old law student at the university who also served as secretary of the Miami-Dade County Republican Party. In response to the revelations, members of the party’s governing board convened an emergency meeting Wednesday evening to address the situation.

State Representative Juan Carlos Porras, who represents Miami and serves on the party’s board, said members asked Carvajal to step down from his position during the meeting. Party leaders have since begun formal proceedings that could lead to his removal if he does not resign voluntarily.

The controversy has emerged at a time when Florida’s political landscape has shifted significantly. Over the past decade, the state—once considered a closely contested battleground—has increasingly leaned Republican. However, incidents involving extremist rhetoric have periodically created tensions within the party’s leadership.

One recent example involves Representative Byron Donalds, a Republican congressman from Naples who is currently considered a leading candidate in his party’s gubernatorial primary. Donalds, who is Black, has previously been targeted with racist comments by supporters of a lesser-known challenger, highlighting divisions and fringe activity among some political supporters online.

The Miami chat scandal also echoes a separate controversy that surfaced last year in multiple states. In that case, thousands of messages containing racist and homophobic remarks were leaked from a Telegram group used by young conservative activists in states including New York, Vermont, Arizona, and Kansas. The incident drew criticism from elected officials and youth leaders within the Republican Party.

Local party officials in Miami quickly condemned the messages revealed in the WhatsApp group. In a public statement, Porras emphasized that hateful rhetoric and threats of violence are incompatible with the party’s values.

He said that hostility toward Jewish Americans, racist language, and calls for violence have no place within the party, the state, or the country as a whole.

Kevin Cooper, chairman of the Miami-Dade County Republican Party, also distanced the organization from the comments. Cooper announced that the party had initiated removal procedures against Carvajal, stating that the remarks attributed to him and others do not represent the views of the organization.

Reaction also came from national Republican figures. Florida Senator Rick Scott condemned the messages in a post on the social platform X, describing them as unacceptable and offensive. Scott wrote that racism and antisemitism are incompatible with the Republican Party and that individuals promoting such views are not welcome within its ranks.

Carvajal did not respond to requests for comment from reporters on Thursday. However, he told The Miami Herald earlier that he had not been aware of many of the messages circulating in the group until journalists contacted him about the issue. The messages reviewed by reporters reportedly spanned a period of roughly two and a half weeks between September and October of last year.

Several other individuals who appeared to be active participants in the chat also declined to respond to inquiries from journalists.

In a statement addressing the controversy, Florida International University reiterated that allegations involving discriminatory or threatening conduct are treated with the utmost seriousness. University officials said the matter is currently being evaluated and will be handled according to institutional rules and applicable law.

If Carvajal refuses to resign from his party role, members of the Miami-Dade County Republican Party board have indicated they will request that the Republican Party of Florida intervene to remove him from the position.

The state party issued a statement acknowledging the controversy and describing the language used in the chat as “repugnant.” While it stopped short of explicitly calling for Carvajal’s resignation, the party said the issue is currently under internal review.

The statement added that the Republican Party of Florida maintains a firm stance against racism, antisemitism, and other forms of bigotry, emphasizing that such behavior contradicts the party’s principles.

The situation has also revived memories of previous tensions within the Miami-Dade County Republican Party. In 2021, several individuals associated with the far-right group Proud Boys were elected to positions on the party’s executive committee. At the time, critics warned that the group was attempting to gain influence within local political structures.

As investigations continue, both party officials and university administrators say they will determine what disciplinary or legal consequences may follow for those involved in the leaked messages.