Protest organizer Gus Rogers asked Rep. Wendi Thomas to denounce President Trump’s remarks
Shortly after Rep. Wendi Thomas Thomas (R-Bucks) opened a district office in New Hope in June, she announced that she would host an open house at the new location on Friday, Aug. 2.
“So come to my office, and stay for the New Hope fireworks,” Thomas said in a press release.
Well, fireworks are certainly what Thomas got on Friday when a group of protesters from New Hope, Solebury, Upper Makefield, Northampton, and Wrightstown showed up at her office at 123 West Bridge St. during the event and demanded that she denounce what they view as a series of racist remarks by President Trump in recent weeks.
The open house had started at 4 p.m., and by 5:15 p.m. protesters began gathering outside New Hope-Solebury High School, across the street from Thomas’ new office.
Protest organizer Gus Rogers of New Hope explained his motivation for planning the demonstration.
“Wendy canvassed my neighborhood and introduced herself, and said she was opening a new office on Bridge Street,” he said. “I asked her if she was aware of the implications of racism in President Trump’s hateful remarks about the four congresswomen, minorities and immigrants. I asked her if she would make a public statement on it. She said she disagreed with President Trump on some issues, but thought his remarks were a national issue and not a local issue. She didn’t want to speak on it.”
“I saw her open house as an opportunity,” continued Rogers. “I want to encourage her to speak out against racism and indicate her disapproval of Trump’s incitement. It’s an ethical and moral issue.”
Wendi Thomas, (far left) speaks with protesters (L to R) Steve Cickay, Dick Winchell, and Gus Rogers
Shortly before 6 p.m., the protesters entered the driveway of Thomas’ office, and proceeded to an outdoor area at the rear of the building where the open house event was continuing. There, Rogers confronted Thomas, politely demanding that she make a statement against Trump’s recent remarks.
Thomas stood her ground, saying she would be speak with Rogers at a later date, but intended to continue her open house without addressing the protester’s demands.
Some protesters called Thomas a racist, which she denied.
“You’re complicit in the racism of your party,” responded protester Dick Winchell.
Thomas was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2018 for the 178th District. Her new office will be open Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thomas also has an office in Richboro.
She would not comment for this article.
Clowns to the left of me Jokers to the right…
All the Democrats and Liberals do is criticize President Trump! It doesn’t matter what he says! He could say that the “sky is blue” and the Democrats/Liberals would say “No!The sky is gray”! While I wish he would have said something different about the 4 “ladies” in question, he has a point! Nothing President Trump is going to say between now and November 2020 will make ANY difference with those who hate/disagree with him! The Democratic Party is all about “identity politics” and dividing this country! We’ll see you in November 2020! If you’re voting for a Democrat, make sure you have plenty of Kleenex handy! You’re going to need it!
Trump’s racism and rhetoric has unleashed something horrible in this country. trump is also destroying the Republican Party and the GOP is complicit with their silence. We should all be upset. I hope moderate republicans reclaim their party. Our children and grandchildren shouldn’t have to participate in active shooter drills in their schools. Our children and grandchildren shouldn’t have to be scared that some deranged white American with a grudge and a AK47 assault weapon will shoot them in a mass murder event in their school, house of worship, movie theater, or mall.
Thank you Eastburn! Bravo!
Sandra, you are obviously white trash.
Thank you, Mike. Confirms my belief that your side always resorts to name-calling when they have no other way of expressing themselves.
Number one, Sandra, you are an obvious racist. Number two, Wendi Thomas, you are a coward.
The tragic events in El Paso and Dayton magnify the need for all elected representatives, everywhere in this country, to speak out publicly about the reprehensible results of racist encouragement on the part of some United States national, regional and local elected officials. If Thomas mistakenly thought the voices of some of her constituents in New Hope on Friday were a quiet sound from a small group, then you are unprepared for the rising demand for public responsibility. Racist acts, violence and out of control gun use are as likely to happen in the PA 178th district today as they were in El Paso on Friday. Everyone needs to speak out, stand up and protect your community and our country against Racism.
It is quite apparent to me that protest organizer Gus Rogers, a BIG supporter of Helen Tai, is so consumed with Donald Trump’s alleged racist statements that he is blinded by Helen Tai’s Actual statements in her blog, “Keeping the Soul in Solebury” that the sky will be falling with Trump as president because of rich white Christian males. You will have to scroll down for a minute and 20 seconds to get to “Nov. 9, 2016, the morning after.”
Are you saying Trump is a Christian? Wow you are really delusional.
This unethical behavior by Thomas is consistent. Her campaign robo texted residents of Bucks County with unsolicited messages about joining her campaign. Even if I shared a single position with her, because of this act of disrespecting individual privacy left an acrid taste in my mouth about Wendy Thomas. Spineless politician.
Glad you stuck to your convictions, Wendi and did not allow yourself to be intimidated by a crowd that sees racism in their sleep. Protestors “demanded that she denounce what they view as a series of racist remarks by President Trump.” Bottom line? If you don’t agree with their “view” you must be a racist. So sick & tired of this. Protest leader was a BIG supporter of Helen Tai, the candidate defeated by Wendi Thomas in the recent election. Seems to be the trend these days. Lose an election, there’s no acceptance, just protest, protest, protest.
Sandra,
We do not see Trump’s racism in our sleep. Anyone with open eyes and ears is confronted with Trump’s racism on a daily basis. In the 1970s he was sued by the justice department for racial discrimination; in 1989 he took out a full page ad in several papers calling for the death penalty for the “Central Park Five”, five teenagers of color who were falsely acused of rape; and, in 2011 he repeatedly acused President Obama of not being born in the United States, fueling the “birtherism” conspiracy theory. Further, as a presidential candidate and as president he has made countless racist remarks and tweets. For example, he claimed that Judge Curiel should recuse himself from the law suit regarding Trump “University” because of his Mexican heritage; in 2017 he claimed that there were good people on both sides in the white supremacist march and murder in Charlottesville; in 2017 he also attacked professional athletes for protesting a stream of shootings of unarmed black men by police officers; in 2018 he referred to predominantly black countries as “shit hole” countries; and more recently he has taken to demeaning black congressional representatives and even leading a chant in North Carolina to “send them back”. This is not a complete list but is representative of Trump’s undeniable racism. This racism is tearing at the social fabric of our country and undermining our most sacred values. It is an assault on our collective soul. The fact that so few Republicans have stood up against Trump’s blatant racism makes them complicit with it. Again, I urge Representative Thomas to reject the racism of Donald Trump and her Republican party. To fail to call out this monstrous evil is to be part of it.
I could answer/dispute each of your points with facts, but we both know Trump Derangement Syndrome does does not allow for intelligent debate. I’ve decided my time will be better spent volunteering at Wendi’s office. Have a nice day.
Trump Derangement Syndrome? That is hilarious; directly from Hannity and Trump’s twitter feed. I am a small government conservative Republican and support Wendi but people like you should stick to watching FOX and yelling about Hillary’s emails and Obama’s birth certificate. There is nothing conservative about the current administration’s fiscal policy; the only thing that is consistent is Trump’s blatant mysogony, racism and deficit spending. He is destroying the party and the true conservative values that I hold dear but in order to understand that you would have to read a book instead of the headlines and propaganda that your “news” station promotes… You are a buffoon.
Read a book. That’s a good one. I read all the time. Currently reading, The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century by George Friedman. Has me feeling quite content for the future. As for you? Try a dictionary, buffoon. That word is misogyny.
Hi Sandra, Please, when you volunteer in her office, repeat some of these things Trump has said or tweeted over the years to your coworkers and the constituents. I’d be curious to hear if you remain on the job. Thanks!
Mind if I grab you in the p###y…..what?
I am not famous enough
Worked for your hero Trump. Hypocrite
Oh, Pete, I’m sure you have never said a nasty word about a woman while hanging out with yoour friends. A few beers, watching the game, the cheerleaders . . . Only difference is that you are a nobody so, you aren’t being followed 24/7 by microphones.
BAHAHAHAH ! Classic deflection. You absolutely cannot answer / dispute any points with any facts. Time to flush these turds in November.
Good for you. The current racism hysteria channels the “reds under the bed” crowd who smelled “communism” in anything and everything they didn’t like or agree with. Same political circus, new clowns. You’re right– you can’t have an intelligent discussion with them because there’s no intellect at work. Just vitriol and ideology.
As voters we have a voice every time we show up on election day. Here is an individual who is more visible within the political system by holding public office and seems to temper her leadership by remaining in the background on this issue. If she truly disagrees with the President she should make a statement; by not taking a more public stance she is speaking volumes on her lack of strength. And since when does a national topic become untouchable by a local government official?? Sorry Wendi, you’re in failure mode if you don’t participate in a conversation of such importance to your district.