In a tense encounter captured on video, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), relied on a bodyguard to evade questions from Loomer Unleashed about the union’s recent protests against former President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as its controversial COVID-19 policies that mandated school closures and masks for students.
The confrontation occurred Monday outside the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where Weingarten had just spoken at an AFT-led “Hands Off” protest. The event, co-organized with the National Education Association (NEA) and the United Auto Workers (UAW), was promoted via a flyer spotlighting the unions’ opposition to Trump, Musk, and Kennedy. When pressed by Loomer Unleashed with the question, “Why should the American people take AFT’s anti-Trump protests seriously when the AFT locked kids out of school and forced them to wear masks?” Weingarten quickly retreated behind security, offering no response.
The AFT has positioned itself as a vocal political player in recent years. During the 2024 election cycle, the union made headlines as the first to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. In a statement, the AFT boasted, “Delegates from across the nation overwhelmingly voted during a special order of business on Monday, roaring their approval to ratify a resolution passed unanimously by the union’s executive council the night before. The AFT has long championed the Biden-Harris administration for its support of workers, families, unions and democracy, and supporting Harris is an enthusiastic renewal of that commitment. Union leaders lined up at microphones to express their support, noting Harris’ powerful leadership skills, her embrace of accessible healthcare and her commitment to public education and public services, among other attributes they are sure will win her the presidential election.”
Financial records from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) further reveal the AFT’s deep ties to Democrat causes. The American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education, which lists an email linked to the AFT’s official website, contributed $105,000 multiple times to both the Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) during the 2024 cycle. Similarly, the UAW Political Action Committee (PAC) donated $105,000 on two occasions to the DSCC, while also supporting Democratic Senate candidates Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin in tightly contested races.
The DSCC, tasked with bolstering incumbent Democrats and flipping key seats, invested heavily in battleground states this cycle. FEC data shows the committee spent $12.3 million opposing Mike Rogers in Michigan, $10.5 million against Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania, and $5.1 million challenging Kari Lake in Arizona.
Critics argue that the AFT’s protest rhetoric rings hollow given its financial and political entanglements with Democrat leadership. The union’s substantial contributions to Democrat campaigns, paired with its role in organizing protests alongside other major unions like the UAW and NEA, have raised questions about the authenticity of its public demonstrations.
The post Exclusive Video: AFT President Randi Weingarten Deploys Security to Dodge Questions About Union’s Anti-Trump Protests and COVID-Era Policies appeared first on Loomered.
