To the editor: Are Charlton’s loyalties with Constitution or Trump administration?
The Chester Telegraph | Feb 09, 2026 | Comments 2
I attended state Rep. Tom Charlton’s pubic forum on Friday, Feb. 6. I was dismayed when he attempted to equate protesters armed with phone cameras and whistles to the physical assaults, property damage, kidnapping and murder by ICE agents.
The thousands of protesters across the country have shown remarkable restraint in the face of horrendous illegal actions and needless thuggery by ICE. Blaming “both sides” and chiding protesters to “de-escalate” by hinting that they are causing the problems is cravenly disingenuous. It sounded remarkably like telling a battered wife that she just needs to “behave” to avoid trouble.
Tom stated that he did not sign the resolution in support of Gov. Phil Scott’s statement due to “politics.” I nearly laughed out loud. How quaint. His statement rang truer than perhaps he intended. I can only wonder that his reluctance to take a stand was tied to the political expediency of not overtly bucking the agenda of his Republican leadership handlers. Unfortunately no one rises in the ranks of this administration if they are not willing to eschew moral principles, decency and common sense. Outliers are severely punished or shunned, political careers vaporize.
Our Republican governor showed principled courage. After the meeting on Friday, I was left to wonder just how far Tom expects his constituents to “de-escalate” as ICE and this administration ignore judicial rulings and obliterate constitutional and Civil Rights? Does he feel protesters even have a right to stridently object to the detention, disappearance and murder of citizens?
Are Tom’s loyalties with the Constitution? Or is he seeking to deliver to his leadership silent constituents, compliant and unquestioning, shamed into politely accepting any capricious whim of a rogue and lawless president? It will be important to know this before we head to the polls in November.
Charlea Baker
Chester
Filed Under: Commentary • Letters to the Editor
Our state representative is a well educated caring man. He takes the time to understand issues we are all involved in.Tom and his family have deep roots in Chester. Tom ran for his office to represent us all. He works very hard at that if you care to really listen to him? Just might find Tom is about the issues not the party. It seems some people want a klone of themselves in office? Tom is his own man and speaks a lot of logic with understanding of the details. We are very lucky to have such a hard working rep for our district. In a world of sides of black or white I think Tom is more towards gray. Something that benefits many and not few.
Thank you, as well as Mr. Nied for you factual, and I have to say these days, courageous writing.