TLC singer Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, 55, has stated she does not back Donald Trump’s MAGA movement following revelations of her contributions to his 2024 campaign. Federal Election Commission records reveal donations totaling $210.60 to WinRed, a Republican payment processor, $340.60 to the Trump National Committee JFC, and $486.54 to Never Surrender Inc., a group tied to Trump fundraising.
Explanation for the Donations
In an Instagram post addressing fan backlash, Thomas emphasized: “I WANT TO BE CLEAR: I am not MAGA and do not support any of the many policies that are causing great harm to the American people.”
She described the contributions as an error, saying: “I made a mistake too many make: I did not read the fine print. I thought I was supporting causes against human trafficking and for veterans.” Thomas noted her father’s veteran status and her passion for children’s welfare, requesting “grace as I navigate this” and adding, “I have learned a valuable lesson.”
Addressing Michelle Obama Repost Controversy
A second slide in the post featured a video where Thomas tackled uproar over resharing a conspiracy theory falsely claiming Michelle Obama is transgender. She expressed concern over the “very concerning” online reaction, stating: “I have the utmost respect and admiration for Michelle Obama, and I would never say or do anything that is disrespectful to her or to any woman. I would never do that.”
Thomas attributed the repost to an accident due to her limited tech skills: “I had no clue that this repost had happened until I started getting phone calls and text messages from everybody. I immediately went to my page to see what was going on.” She explained scrolling led her thumb to hit the nearby repost button accidentally, reiterating she only learned of it through notifications.
TLC Background and Past Statements
Thomas joined TLC in 1991, replacing Crystal Jones, and formed the iconic trio with Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes. The group achieved massive success with their 1999 hit “No Scrubs.”
Previously, in a 2017 Channel 4 News interview, Thomas drew criticism for responding to questions about Black Lives Matter by saying “all lives matter.” She clarified: “I personally didn’t go to any marches or anything like that. For me, all lives matter, you know what I mean? Because there is a time when different groups are targeted for different things.”
She condemned police brutality, stating: “So I just think that what happened, even with the police brutality against these young Black boys and stuff like that — all of that kind of stuff is wrong. Even if it was a caucasian teen kid that this was happening to, it’s just not right.” Thomas called for improved background and mental health checks for law enforcement hires.
