Violence, racism, and Nazi praise: The dark side of US political group chats [View all]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Three separate controversies involving leaked text messages from private online group chats have rocked U.S. political circles this month, revealing racist, antisemitic and violent statements from figures across the ideological spectrum.

The messages - sent privately but now public - include racial slurs, praise for Nazis, and threats of political violence, raising questions about why those involved felt comfortable expressing such views despite the risk of exposure and censure.

The online posts have also deepened concern among civil society groups and political language experts that violent rhetoric and racist hate speech are becoming normalized in America, particularly after decades of hard-fought civil rights victories that sought to dismantle such ideologies.

People have long expressed violent or racist views in private settings but experts say the leaks of the text messages are noteworthy because they surfaced the unfiltered - and to many shocking - views of political figures.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/violence-racism-nazi-praise-dark-224823176.html