Ian Valdes has stepped down as president of the Turning Point USA chapter at Florida International University after reports revealed his involvement in a racist group chat among campus conservatives.
The resignation follows a Miami Herald investigation that uncovered disturbing messages in a WhatsApp group involving Miami-area college conservatives. Chat logs obtained by the newspaper and verified by two participants showed that members used variations of the n-word more than 400 times during conversations.
The messages also included comments describing women as “whores,” slurs directed at gay and Jewish people, and discussions referencing Adolf Hitler’s political views. According to the Miami Herald, the messages reviewed covered a two-and-a-half-week period between September and October.
After the report surfaced, the Turning Point USA chapter at FIU confirmed that Valdes had stepped down.
In a statement shared on Instagram, the group said it had been “made aware of the recent incident involving chapter leadership.”
“The chapter president has stepped down from leadership, turned over social media, and we are currently reconstituting our leadership team,” the statement read.
The messages quickly drew condemnation from Republican officials in Florida.
Miami-Dade County Republican Party Chairman Kevin Cooper told the Miami Herald that anyone connected to the group chat should “resign immediately.” Cooper added, “I am shocked and appalled at these statements. Racism and antisemitism have no place in the Republican Party.”
Florida International University President Jeanette Nunez confirmed that campus police are investigating the chat.
“FIU does not and will not tolerate violence, hate, discrimination, harassment, racism, or antisemitism,” Nunez said. “This is not who we are. This is not what FIU stands for.”
The Republican Party of Florida also issued a statement condemning the messages, calling them “repugnant” and “completely contrary to everything the Republican Party of Florida stands for and represents.”
U.S. Senator Rick Scott also addressed the situation on X, writing, “This is disgusting and cannot be tolerated. I’m glad that RPOF is launching an investigation and expect anyone who engaged in this horrible behavior to be held accountable. Racists and antisemites are not welcome in the Republican Party.”
University officials say the investigation remains ongoing and encourage anyone with information about the group chat to report it through FIU’s official reporting system.
