Miami-Dade GOP Official's Racist Chat Sparks Outrage

Leaked messages with slurs against Black and Jewish people lead to calls for resignation

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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A leaked group chat with numerous racist, antisemitic and misogynistic text messages among young conservatives has engulfed the Miami-Dade County Republican Party in scandal. The WhatsApp chat, created by the party secretary for students at Florida International University, quickly devolved into slurs against Black and Jewish people. Screenshots of the messages have been published, leading to a criminal investigation by the university and calls for the secretary's resignation from the party's board.

Why it matters

The scandal is the latest example of extremism within the Republican Party in Florida, as the party has consolidated power in a state that was once a political battleground. It highlights ongoing issues with racism and antisemitism among some young conservative activists, which have plagued the party in multiple states.

The details

The slur-laden chat includes a lengthy message about killing Black people and a separate warning about not getting sexually involved with a Jewish woman. The messages also reference Hitler's politics, insult gay people, and use offensive terms for women. The secretary who created the chat, Abel Alexander Carvajal, is a law student at Florida International University. Members of the party's board have asked for his resignation, and the university is conducting a criminal investigation.

  • The WhatsApp chat was created by Carvajal last fall for students at Florida International University in Miami.
  • The offensive messages were sent over a two-and-a-half-week period from September to October.

The players

Abel Alexander Carvajal

The secretary of the Miami-Dade County Republican Party who created the offensive WhatsApp chat for students at Florida International University.

Juan Carlos Porras

A Republican state representative from Miami and a member of the Miami-Dade County Republican Party board, who called for Carvajal's resignation.

Kevin Cooper

The chairman of the Miami-Dade County Republican Party, who said the party has started removal proceedings against Carvajal.

Rick Scott

A Republican U.S. Senator who wrote on X that the messages were "disgusting and cannot be tolerated" and that "Racists and antisemites are not welcome in the Republican Party."

Florida International University

The university where the offensive WhatsApp chat was created and is now under criminal investigation.

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What they’re saying

“Hatred towards Jewish Americans, racist rhetoric, calls for violence, all these ideas have no place in our party, our state, or our country.”

— Juan Carlos Porras, Republican State Representative (The New York Times)

“The alleged conduct is under review and will be addressed in accordance with the university's policies and applicable law.”

— Maydel Santana, Spokeswoman, Florida International University (The New York Times)

“The Republican Party of Florida consistently stands against racism, antisemitism, and bigotry in all of its hateful forms of expression.”

— Republican Party of Florida (The New York Times)

What’s next

The Miami-Dade County Republican Party has asked the Republican Party of Florida to remove Abel Alexander Carvajal from his position if he does not resign. Florida International University is also conducting a criminal investigation into the offensive messages.

The takeaway

This scandal highlights the ongoing challenge of extremism within the Republican Party, particularly among some young conservative activists. It underscores the need for the party to more forcefully condemn and distance itself from racist, antisemitic, and other hateful rhetoric, in order to maintain credibility and appeal to a broader electorate.