Virginia Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has been a vocal activist for fringe right-wing causes for over a decade. In the weeks leading up to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, Thomas enthusiastically promoted the Save America Rally and praised the participants. A false rumor emerged that Thomas had funded 80 buses to transport insurrectionists to the rally, which was based on an unproven assertion made by Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. While Thomas is a well-known right-wing organizer and conspiracy theorist, there is no evidence to support the claim that she paid for buses to the rally.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Name | Virginia "Ginni" Thomas |
Date of Birth | February 23, 1957 |
Occupation | Lawyer, conservative activist |
Spouse | Clarence Thomas |
Role in Capitol Riots | Promoted the "Save America" rally, posted in support of the "Stop the Steal" rally, and endorsed the protest demanding that Congress overturn the election |
False Claim | That she sponsored 80 buses to transport participants to the "Save America" rally |
What You'll Learn
Ginni Thomas's role in the Capitol Riots
Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is a well-known conservative activist and organiser. In the lead-up to the Capitol Riots on January 6, 2021, Thomas actively supported former President Donald Trump and his claims of election fraud. She promoted the "Save America Rally" and made an early endorsement of the Trump rally on social media before the violence took place.
Thomas has been accused of sponsoring 80 buses to transport participants to the rally. However, this claim has been debunked by fact-checkers. The allegation stems from a tweet by Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, who claimed that his organisation would be sending "80+ buses" to D.C. Thomas previously served on the advisory council of Turning Point USA, but she had not been involved with the group since at least early 2019. There is no evidence to support a direct connection between Thomas and the funding of these buses.
Thomas's role in the Capitol Riots extends beyond the bus sponsorship claims. She was a vocal supporter of Trump and actively promoted his false claims of election fraud. Thomas urged Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, to take steps to overturn the election results. She also emailed state lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin, urging them to ignore the election results and vote for alternate slates of electors.
Thomas's activism and proximity to power have raised concerns about the influence she may have had on her husband, Justice Clarence Thomas. Despite her insistence that her activism has had no bearing on her husband's work, there have been signs that she may have had some influence. Thomas's presence at the "Stop the Steal" rally and her broader efforts to keep Trump in power have heightened scrutiny of her work and its potential impact on the Supreme Court.
In conclusion, while the claim that Ginni Thomas sponsored 80 buses for the Capitol Riots has been debunked, she did play a significant role in promoting the events of that day and in the broader efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Her actions have brought attention to the issue of political activism by spouses of Supreme Court justices and the potential implications it may have on the Court's integrity.
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Ginni Thomas's political activism
Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is a lawyer and conservative activist. She has been a vocal activist for fringe right-wing causes for over a decade, and her conservative commentary and activism have made her a controversial figure, especially because spouses of Supreme Court justices typically avoid engaging in political activity.
Thomas has worked with several Republican politicians, including Hal Daub and Dick Armey, and has been employed by the United States Chamber of Commerce and the United States Department of Labor. She has also been involved with several conservative organizations, including Turning Point USA, the Heritage Foundation, and Liberty Central, a conservative political advocacy nonprofit organization associated with the Tea Party movement.
Thomas has been a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump, offering recommendations on individuals to hire and promoting false talking points about illegal voting by immigrants in the 2016 election. She actively urged Trump to change the personnel in his administration and endorsed his rally that preceded the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol.
Thomas has also been linked to anti-abortion groups who lobbied her husband and his fellow Supreme Court justices ahead of their decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. She is listed as a board director of the lobbying arm of the Council for National Policy (CNP), a secretive Christian conservative networking group. She has described her role within the conservative movement as that of "a convenor – I find the talent and I put them in the room and have them talk to one another."
While there were claims that Thomas sponsored buses to transport participants to the "Save America" rally on January 6, 2021, these claims have been debunked by fact-checkers. However, her involvement in various conservative causes and her efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election have raised concerns about a possible conflict of interest at the highest levels of the US judiciary.
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Ginni Thomas's relationship with Turning Point USA
Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has been a vocal activist for right-wing causes for over a decade. Ginni Thomas was a member of the advisory council for Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a conservative nonprofit organization, but she has not served in that role since at least early 2019.
Ginni Thomas is a well-known right-wing organizer and conspiracy theorist. She has been involved with various conservative organizations, including the Groundswell group, the Council for National Policy, and Turning Point USA. She has leveraged her connections to conservative figures and sought inroads with Republican activists, becoming a recurring presence at the White House during the Trump administration.
Ginni Thomas's role with Turning Point USA was called into question following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In the lead-up to the event, Charlie Kirk claimed on Twitter that Turning Point USA would be sending "80+ buses full of patriots to DC to fight for this president." This tweet was later deleted after the rally turned violent. This unproven assertion led to rumors that Ginni Thomas had funded and organized the buses for the insurrection. However, it is important to note that Ginni Thomas had not been associated with Turning Point USA for several years by that point, and there is no evidence directly linking her to the funding or organization of the buses.
Ginni Thomas has been known to aggressively promote right-wing causes and has been scrutinized for her role in the promotion of the "Save America Rally" that preceded the Capitol riot. While she has denied any wrongdoing, her actions have raised ethical concerns about the potential influence on her husband's role as a Supreme Court Justice.
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Ginni Thomas's controversial social media posts
Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has been a vocal activist for fringe right-wing causes for over a decade. In the lead-up to the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, Thomas promoted the "Save America Rally" on social media and praised the participants. This led to false rumours that she had funded 80 buses to transport insurrectionists to Washington, D.C. While this claim was proven false, Thomas did send dozens of controversial text messages to Donald Trump's former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, urging him to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
In her text messages to Meadows, Thomas referenced QAnon-affiliated conspiracy theories, such as the belief that President Biden, his family, and election officials had successfully orchestrated a vast conspiracy to rig the 2020 elections. She also quoted a popular pro-Trump message, stating that the "Biden crime family & ballot fraud co-conspirators...are being arrested & detained for ballot fraud right now & over coming days, & will be living in barges off GITMO to face military tribunals for sedition." Thomas added that she hoped this was true.
Thomas's social media activity and text messages have attracted widespread scrutiny, particularly due to her close connection to someone with direct access to the President. Her advocacy for overturning the election results and promotion of conspiracy theories have been deemed controversial and problematic, given that spouses of Supreme Court justices typically avoid engaging in political activity.
In addition to her text messages, Thomas has made other controversial social media posts. The Washington Post reported that she had shared "nakedly partisan, erroneous propaganda," including a George Soros conspiracy theory meme and criticism of gun control advocates. Thomas has also been active on Facebook, where she promoted a "Stop the Steal" rally before the January 6 attack on the Capitol. She claimed that she attended the rally but left before the violence escalated.
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Ginni Thomas's role in the Council for National Policy
Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is a member of the Council for National Policy (CNP) and joined its board in 2019. The CNP is a secretive, Christian Right organisation of powerful leaders and donors on the right of US politics.
Thomas is a conservative activist and has been described as a "well-known right-wing organiser and conspiracy theorist". She has been a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump and has been involved in various efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
In 2019, Thomas outlined plans to form a new group called "Crowdsourcers" to "protect" President Trump and other Republicans and attack Democrats. She has also urged Republican lawmakers to ignore election results and appoint alternate electors.
Thomas has been a speaker at CNP meetings, which are shrouded in secrecy. In 2018, she led a session called "Securing a Conservative Victory in November", which decided that CNP members should "nationalise the election by using the issues that got Trump elected".
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Frequently asked questions
No, Virginia Thomas did not pay for buses for the Capitol Riots.
Virginia Thomas was an avid supporter of Donald Trump and his "Stop the Steal" rally that resulted in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Virginia Thomas faced heavy criticism for her role in promoting the rally. She later apologised for contributing to a rift among her husband's former Supreme Court clerks concerning the riot.
Yes, Virginia Thomas was a conservative activist and lawyer. She was also a member of the Council for National Policy and the informal conservative Groundswell group.
Virginia Thomas claimed that she did not communicate her election-related activities to her husband, Clarence Thomas. However, she did reference him in her texts to Mark Meadows.