AFT’s Weingarten on Trump’s 100th day in office

WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement marking President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office:

“Since returning to the White House, President Trump has exceeded the fears of those who voted against him, and he has done little, if anything, to live up to the hopes of those who voted for him to improve their lives.

“Trump promised to lower costs for working people and retirees. To have an American golden age. To bring back manufacturing. He said jobs and factories would come ‘roaring back.’

“Instead, as Wall Street has slumped, retirees’ assets have declined and housing costs and prices have increased. The economic uncertainty is seen in the polls and the streets, in the decrease in consumer confidence and the weakening of the dollar.

“While we believe in targeted tariffs, the global trade war will increase costs on everything from food and clothes to automobiles. Economists say a global recession, which will lead to job layoffs, is more likely than not to happen this year.

“Trump spent his first 100 days dismantling public education; attacking universities; firing federal workers, including veterans; ending vital labor and health programs; and making it harder for retirees to access Social Security. Shortly, he will unveil his plan to provide a tax cut to billionaires, which he plans to pay for by cutting Medicaid, veterans’ programs, programs for children living in poverty and students with disabilities, and research grants to colleges and universities that fund cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s research.

“It’s no wonder his public approval is tanking. The cruelty is unnerving, the disregard for the Constitution and rule of law is reckless and the day-to-day pain can never be justified. That's why our members are fighting back.

“The AFT has filed numerous lawsuits to block Trump’s attempts to gut public education, research funding at colleges and universities and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. We won a preliminary injunction to stop Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing our sensitive private information. And we’ve stopped the secretary of education from subjecting Title I funding for 26 million low-income children to Trump’s ideological whims.

“Our members work every day to make a difference in the lives of others—students, patients and communities. They want us to fight for a better life, opportunity and dignity for all.

“And we are—in Congress, the courts, and the court of public opinion—just as we did on March 4 when AFT members led 2,000 ‘Protect Our Kids’ actions across the country, and on April 5, when we joined millions of others to say ‘Hands Off’ our schools, our healthcare, our Social Security, our unions and our democracy.

“In a democracy, the people are the ultimate check and balance: millions of people acting together in community to stand up for a better life and the rule of law and against the chaos, cruelty, incompetence and cronyism of this administration.”