First Thing: JD Vance brushes off racist texts in Republican group chat as ‘what kids do’

JD Vance: ‘The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys.’ Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

Good morning.

JD Vance sought to downplay the revelation that leaders of a group called the Young Republicans exchanged hundreds of racist and sexist text messages – including one in which rape was called “epic”, and another in which someone wrote “I love Hitler” – as youthful indiscretions.