Radio Station Fires Host Who Led Protests At Gov. Baker's Home

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — A conservative talk radio host who led weekly protests outside Gov. Charlie Baker's home during the coronavirus shutdown is out of a job.

WSMN radio fired Dianna Ploss after she posted a video on Facebook Friday showing herself accosting Spanish-speaking landscapers in Nashua, New Hampshire. In the video, which Ploss broadcast live, she tells the workers "It's America! You should be speaking English!" She also demands to know the worker's immigration status and asks where New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is.

When a bystander tries to intervene, she makes a sarcastic comment about his face covering. "He’s a Black man, and he’s going to protect the brown man from this white woman," Ploss says directly to the camera.

Ploss has since removed the video from her Facebook page, but it has been widely circulated by media outlets, including TMZ. By Saturday morning, an online petition was calling for Ploss' firing. By Sunday afternoon, WSMN posted a statement on its Website saying she was no longer with the station.

"We value freedom of speech, freedom of expression and assembly," the statement said. "We will not tolerate discrimination, racism or hatred."

In April, Ploss began organizing weekly protests at Baker's home to pressure him to reopen the state's economy. She also fueled criticism of Swampscott officials' decision to paint arrows on sidewalks to help pedestrians with social distancing.

Ploss was a Democrat until 2013. By 2016, Ploss had quit her job to campaign full-time for Trump. She founded MA 4 Trump and, since the coronavirus pandemic escalated, has been a vocal supporter of Trump on her talk show.

Dave Copeland covers Swampscott and other North Shore communities for Patch. He can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).