AFT’s Weingarten Responds to Donald Trump’s Address to Congress

WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress:

“There was nothing normal about Donald Trump’s address. He spelled out a dark, dystopian vision for a go-it-alone country that has winners and losers as opposed to one that offers opportunity and freedom for all. He offered no positive vision for helping regular folks get ahead. He said virtually nothing about improving education, how to help make America more affordable again or how to achieve the American dream. He ignored critical issues like housing, child care, healthcare and grocery prices, and he endorsed Elon Musk’s gutting of essential government programs including Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

“Trump is betraying the working people he promised to help. He is not doing anything to lower costs. Sadly the trade war he ushered in and his false statements about Social Security fraud are big warning signs that everyday Americans are about to take an even bigger hit.

“Americans are struggling to afford basic necessities. With Trump, the rich will get richer and the rest of us will pay the price.

“But we are not powerless—and we’re fighting back. All day long, educators, students and parents rallied at more than 2,000 Protect Our Kids events and activities across the country, fighting attempts to cut desperately needed public school funding to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. Community, not chaos, is  our best hope for the future.”