Who Is Michael Bartels? Trump Official Linked To Politico’s Young Republicans Telegram Chat Bombshell

A trove of Telegram messages published by Politico this week has thrust a new generation of Republican operatives into the spotlight, and one name in the logs has drawn attention inside the federal government: Michael Bartels. Politico reports Bartels works as a senior adviser in the Office of General Counsel at the U.S. Small Business Administration, and while he does not appear to be a prolific author of the worst messages, he is listed among participants in the “RESTOREYR WAR ROOM” chat. Bartels declined to comment directly to reporters, Politico says, but he supplied a notarized affidavit disputing how the chat was obtained and describing internal pressure tied to party politics.The leaked 2,900 pages include racist slurs, antisemitic remarks and violent fantasies attributed to Young Republican leaders across multiple states, and the fallout has been swift. Several individuals in the logs have lost jobs or had offers rescinded after the publication, and prominent New York Republicans publicly condemned the rhetoric, Politico notes. Peter Giunta, a former chair of the New York State Young Republicans and a central figure in the chat, apologized but also claimed the leak was part of a targeted “character assassination” campaign connected to intra-party rivalries.Bartels’ affidavit and the infighting brought to lightIn the affidavit obtained by Politico, Bartels says he did not hand over the chat to reporters and alleges that another Young Republican leader, Gavin Wax, demanded he provide the full log. Bartels wrote that Wax “threatened my professional standing” if he refused, a claim that frames the controversy as part of a bitter internecine fight rather than a simple privacy breach, Politico reports. That explanation has not satisfied critics, who point out the substance of the messages — not just their provenance — is the core issue drawing condemnation from party officials.Republican lawmakers and party organizers reacted with alarm as the messages circulated publicly. New York State GOP chair Ed Cox called the comments “shocking and disgusting,” and Rep. Elise Stefanik’s office described the excerpts as “heinous” while urging accountability for anyone proven to have authored them; both responses were reported by Politico. The episode has prompted conversations about recruiting, discipline and oversight inside the party’s youth ranks, with some leaders demanding resignations and stricter vetting.Broader implications for the GOP and the administrationThe Politico piece underscores how modern political organizing, often conducted in ephemeral private chats, can quickly become public and politically damaging, especially when participants work in government. Even if Bartels’ visible input in the conversation was limited, his federal role amplifies the stakes: questions about judgment and workplace conduct become entwined with partisan warfare, Politico says. A White House official told reporters that the administration has no formal link to the “RESTOREYR” group, but the presence of current and former Trump staffers in affiliated Young Republican circles has made the matter politically sensitive.Organizationally, the Young Republicans are now confronting a reputational crisis that extends beyond a single chat room; Politico’s reporting shows the messages crossed state lines and involved leaders who sought national influence. Scholars interviewed by Politico warned that normalizing such rhetoric in private spaces risks seeping into policy and public behavior, a concern party leaders echoed as they moved to distance themselves from those named. For Bartels, the affidavit frames him as a target in a factional struggle, yet it is the words in the chat, rather than the internecine claims, that have prompted calls for accountability across the GOP.