AFT President Randi Weingarten on Trump Threats to Gut the Department of Education
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Why are young voters turning against Trump?
Some new data out, young voters are one of the largest groups turning against Donald Trump. Almost a 70% disapproval rating for Donald Trump among young voters. And maybe it's because Donald Trump is stealing their hopes, dreams, aspirations, future. Education. I mean, Donald Trump's out there every day attacking education. This was him recently in the Oval Office saying Linda McMahon, who has recently been confirmed as secretary of education, should use her job to get rid of her job and to gut and destroy and abolish the Department of Education. Here's Trump saying it.
Why nominate Linda McMahon to be the Education Department Secretary if you're going to get rid of the Education Department Secretary?
Because I told Linda, Linda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job. I want her to put herself out of a job, Education Department. So we're ranked number 40 out of 40 schools, right? We're ranked number one in cost per pupil. So we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world. And we're ranked at the bottom of the list. We're ranked very badly. And what I want to do is let the states run schools. I believe strongly in school choice. But in addition to that, I want the states to run schools. And I want Linda to put herself out of a job.
Fact check, states already run schools. Donald Trump has no clue what the Department of Education does. Here was Linda McMahon earlier saying that she does intend to abolish her own department. Let's show you that.
So we've heard that he could be signing this executive order today to abolish the Department of Education. Is that coming today?
I don't know. I don't want to get ahead of the president. I think you'd have to check with the White House. I think he certainly intends to sign the order, and we've talked about it. He's made it crystal clear since the time he was running for president that this is his intent.
You know, look, and she's talking about the draft executive order to abolish the Department of Education that the Wall Street Journal got their hands on. There's also just a cruelty element. They're like enjoying taking away billions of dollars of educational resources that help people and lunch programs and things like that. Like this is MAGA Republican Senator Kennedy saying, you know, Better get used to it. We're going to be coming for you even harder. Here, play this clip.
To my friends who are upset, I would say with respect, you know, call somebody who cares. They better get used to this. It's USAID today. It's going to be Department of Education tomorrow.
And then I think this is catching a lot of voters by surprise, Trump voters, too, who are saying, whoa, I didn't vote for this. Here's just an example of a Trump voter who said, wait a minute, I'm going to lose my job now. Here, play this clip.
Trump won the state. In Bell County, 84% voted for Trump, yet it deeply relies on federal funding. A CNN analysis found the 15 states that most rely on federal funding for its public schools in 2022 all voted for Trump.
And I voted for President Trump. I mean, you're an educator. You didn't vote for Trump eliminating federal funds.
No, I did not vote for that. I voted for President Trump to make America first again.
Let's bring in the president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randy Weingarten. When you see video clips like that, what goes through your mind?
Well, first, let me just say thank you for doing all this and thank you for putting the truth out. But when I see video clips like this, I want to go, ah! Because, you know, what the department, what people did not vote, for making their lives worse. They felt that the country is really divided. I mean, you guys know that better than anyone. But if you look at the small slice of the electorate that actually made the decision that put Trump over the top in the different states, as well as in the popular vote, you heard overwhelmingly My life and my family's life has gotten harder. I want to get ahead. I want the American dream.
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