These GOP leaders disavowed racist texts but stand exposed regardless

While I was off last week writing about Kansas journalists of the past, Kansas journalists of the present had a hell of a story drop in their laps.

Kansas Young Republican leaders were caught exchanging racist, homophobic and white supremacist messages through a group chat with others of their ilk throughout the nation.

First reported by Politico, the messages included vice chairman William Hendrix using the words “n–ga” and “n–guh” and saying he admired an adjoining state’s GOP because “Missouri doesn’t like f–s.”

Chairman Alex Dwyer used the racist code number “1488,” reacted with a happy face to another Young Republican saying he loved Hitler, and — somewhat perplexingly — wrote that “sex is gay.”

High-profile Kansas Republicans promptly denounced the two men, going out of their way to claim their words didn’t represent the party. Hendrix, who worked in Attorney General Kris Kobach’s office, was fired.

That’s all well and good. But was it enough? Does it actually address the dark clouds of hatred rolling across our state?

If you catch me on a good day, I might say yes. If you catch me on a particularly cranky day, I might say it doesn’t come close. So I wrote two versions of my take, and you can pick the one you prefer. Make sure to read through the end, though, because that’s where we figure out what’s actually happening.

The nice version

Kansas Republican leaders have shown that they have more courage and moral fortitude than U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

In quickly and unequivocally denouncing the hate-filled messages from Kansas Young Republicans, party leaders have taken a painful but necessary step. A country with two main political parties can not allow one of them to become a haven for racism, misogyny, homophobia and Nazi sympathizers.

For his part, the vice president claimed last week that too much was made of the messages — that “kids do stupid things, especially young boys.” Never mind that the Young Republicans court those ages 18 to 40. His words might sound hypocritical, given that he just demanded mass punishments against those criticizing the late Charlie Kirk, but he was elected vice president, and you weren’t.

Thankfully, Kansas GOP bigwigs took a more honest and searching look. They even deactivated the state’s Young Republicans chapter. All those who spoke out — Kobach, state party chairwoman Danedri Herbert, Senate President Ty Masterson, former Gov. Jeff Colyer and insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt — should be praised for understanding the seriousness of the moment and the necessity of acting quickly and decisively.

The mean version

Kansas GOP leaders have turned a blind eye to racism, homophobia and violent rhetoric for years.

Statements from prominent Republicans in the state have proclaimed that these shameful text messages don’t represent the party or what it stands for.

But as someone who has followed and covered Kansas politics for the last decade, I can tell you that these messages absolutely reflect a growing tendency within the party — especially the beliefs and rhetoric of younger staffers and activists.

Party leaders could have stepped in at any point to stop this problem. Kobach, Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins could have said that while they might not support legislation protecting LGBTQ+ Kansas children, they believe that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect — including gay and trans folks. Instead, they strip fellow Kansans of life-saving medical care and persecute them through government agencies.

They could have actually forced Rep. Nick Hoheisel, R-Wichita, to face consequences after clashing with a Rep. Ford Carr, D-Wichita, on the House floor. They could have condemned actions by Reps. Patrick Penn, R-Wichita, and Kyler Sweely, R-Hutchinson, after they joked about shooting former Hutchinson Rep. Jason Probst. They could have cautioned Rep. Kristey Williams, R-Augusta, that focusing on the hurt feelings of “a little white girl” in learning about racism missed the point. They could have pushed back against transphobic rhetoric from former Rep. Cheryl Helmer, R-Mulvane. They could have condemned racistincidents faced by Rep. Rui Xu, D-Westwood. The GOP-supermajority House couldn’t even bring itself to oppose racism while passing a bill declaring antisemitism against the public policy of Kansas.

For that matter, party leaders could made it clear that they didn’t want to associate with Kobach after accusations that he employed white nationalists.

But here we are. We’ve lived through years of willful blindness to shameful bias. Kansas GOP leaders were more than happy to continue paying these folks’ salaries and allowing them to serve in government. Until last week, no one paid much of a penalty for racism, homophobia or violent rhetoric. (At least if that person was a Republican. Democrats who point this out can face dire consequences.)

The only reason bigwigs blinked this time was that a story appeared in a national outlet and included clear proof of these activists’ words. That’s it. Other reporting — like the multiple instances I’ve just mentioned — are dismissed as distractions at best and partisan attacks at worst.

Meanwhile, the Kansas Republican Party has leaned into racist trolling during the government shutdown. In social media posts, they put Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly in a sombrero and Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard in a Mexican wresting mask. Maybe you find the images funny, maybe you don’t, but I’m not sure how you can square them with Herbert’s claim that “we strive to eliminate racism and we condemn all racist acts and groups.”

Democrats have run people who say terrible things too. The Kansas party has faced its own internal strife. Partisans can lob “whatabouts” until their arms get tired.

But this story is about the Kansas Republican Party and its leaders. Until they clean house and turn their backs on years of winking and nodding at the worst among us, they have no standing to lecture anyone else about morality or good judgment. They have proved that they lack both.

The other version

I’m afraid that neither of the preceding versions of this column cover everything. As I thought about the situation more, I came to a conclusion that’s neither nice nor mean.

Kansas Republican leaders have nothing to lose by cutting young idiots loose. The ongoing GOP project in Kansas has one goal, and one goal alone: lowering tax rates for the obscenely wealthy and reducing restrictions on their businesses.

Any other controversy or infighting distracts from those goals.

People like William Hendrix and Alex Dwyer might have seen themselves as important to the state party and its future. Instead, they were pawns being used by entrenched oligarchs to further cement their power in the Sunflower State. The instant that these men became a liability for the state party, they were excommunicated. Masterson went out of his way to “categorically deny any association” with either.

The big-money interests who want to turn Kansas into a zero-tax paradise read the big national newspapers and websites. They don’t want to be embarrassed. A splashy story from Politico threatens their goals in a way that local news stories don’t.

Put succinctly, they can live with racism until it harms their larger project. Then, all those poor suckers who ironically embraced Hitler find themselves on the street.

In Kansas, like a casino, the owner always wins.

• Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.