Federal Election Commission records have revealed that Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, a member of the iconic R&B group TLC, made several donations to Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Republican-aligned fundraising groups during 2024.
Donation Details from Federal Filings
The FEC records, examined by The Independent, list contributions from a Rozonda Thomas residing in Stone Mountain, Georgia—an address publicly associated with the "No Scrubs" singer. The filings show Thomas donated $210.60 to WinRed, the primary payment processor for Republican campaign donations, $340.60 to the Trump National Committee JFC, and $486.54 to Never Surrender Inc., a political fundraising organization with connections to Trump.
Previous Controversial Statements Resurface
This political support comes years after Thomas faced significant backlash for comments she made during a 2017 interview with Channel 4 News in the UK. When asked about her feelings regarding the Black Lives Matter movement, Thomas stated, "I personally didn't go to any marches or anything like that. For me, all lives matter, you know what I mean?"
The phrase "all lives matter" became a right-wing slogan in response to BLM and has been widely criticized as dismissing the disproportionate impact of police violence and discrimination on Black Americans. Thomas elaborated in the interview, saying, "Because there is a time when different groups are targeted for different things. 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."
She continued, "Even if it was a caucasian teen kid that this was happening to, it's just not right. And some people will take that authoritative position and go crazy with it, obviously. I think that before people are hired in these positions, they need to do some kind of better background check or mental stability check on them to see if they can really handle being in a position like that."
Bandmate's Contrasting Perspective
When asked what it was like to be a Black woman in Trump's America during the same interview, Thomas's TLC bandmate Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins offered a different perspective. Watkins stated, "I don't care about Donald Trump. I mean, God is my president. So I just feel sorry for people it affects, but I don't care about him."
TLC's Legacy and Recent Activities
TLC, best known for their massive 1999 hit "No Scrubs," formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1990. The group's most famous lineup consisted of Thomas, Watkins, and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. Tragically, Lopes died in a car accident during a 2002 trip to Honduras, where she had been volunteering at a children's development center.
More recently, Thomas performed alongside Watkins and Cheryl James (Salt of Salt-N-Pepa) at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, demonstrating the enduring presence of these iconic artists in contemporary music culture.
The Independent has reached out to TLC's publicist for comment regarding Thomas's political donations, but no response has been received at this time. These contributions, totaling over $1,000 to Republican causes, represent a notable intersection of celebrity and political financing during a contentious election cycle.
