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Conservatives and critics on social media slammed American Federation of Teachers (AFT) chief Randi Weingarten for her animated “No Kings Day” speech targeting President Donald Trump in the wake of her abrupt departure from the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
“Randi Weingarten is once again on stage bouncing around, flailing her arms, and screeching like a lunatic. Another ad for homeschooling!” popular conservative X account Libs of TikTok posted Sunday, accompanied by footage of Weingarten at a “No Kings Day” protest in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Footage of Weingarten’s speech has since spread across social media as reports circulated Sunday evening into Monday morning that the teachers union chief declined the DNC’s offer for her to stay on as an at-large member.
Fellow union official Lee Saunders of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees also denied the DNC’s offer to stay on, Fox News Digital reported Monday. The pair’s exit follows former Vice Chair David Hogg’s exit from the DNC earlier in June after choosing not to run for re-election.
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“I appear to be out of step with the leadership you are forging, and I do not want to be the one who keeps questioning why we are not enlarging our tent and actively trying to engage more and more of our communities,” Weingarten wrote in a letter dated June 5 to DNC Chair Ken Martin explaining her departure.
Conservatives and other critics slammed Weingarten and her leadership over AFT, while also resurrecting footage from Saturday of Weingarten’s speech slamming Trump while jumping up and down in an animated manner.
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“You are the community to this president’s chaos, and together we build a future of opportunity and justice for all,” Weingarten said during her “No Kings” remarks in Philadelphia. “Hope over fear, aspiration over anger. The promise of America for each and every American, that is what we are fighting for today.”
Some on social media called footage of her Saturday speech a “meltdown,” while others rehashed how Weingarten pushed to shutter schools during the pandemic.
“DEMOCRATS: The Democrat Party just lost the support of the nation’s second largest Teachers Union led by Randi Weingarten. The DNC board member and superdelegate resigned from the party the day after she led the nationwide ‘No King’s protest. The Democrats are in complete disarray as they can’t decide who to support much less what they stand for…” X account Amuse posted, accompanied by a clip of Weingarten’s speech.
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“Randi Weingarten has RESIGNED from the DNC after 23 years of wrecking American education. This is the same woman who kept your kids masked, locked classrooms, and turned schools into activist training camps. The damage she caused won’t be forgotten but her exit is the first sign the rot is being scraped out. One radical down… a whole party to go,” another conservative X account posted.
“JUST IN: Randi Weingarten steps down from the DNC. This comes after her massive meltdown at the ‘No Kings’ protest,” one critic posted to X, accompanied by the footage.
“Randi Weingarten’s resignation from the DNC post- ‘No Kings’ protest meltdown reflects deepening divisions within the Democratic Party,” another conservative X account posted.
“This was Randi Weingarten yesterday at the ‘No Kings’ protest. She just retired. The trash is taking itself out,” another conservative commentator said in reaction to the video.
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Weingarten was among vocal Democrats pushing for Trump critics to take to the streets on Saturday as part of the national “No Kings Day” protests, including sharing a link on X to the AFT’s website promoting the protests.
“On June 14, we’re coming together, peacefully and powerfully, to stand up against Presidents being Kings. It’s about strong public schools, supporting working families, and our fundamental freedoms . This day of action is about making our democracy work for all. It’s about we the people not just about responding to what’s wrong—it’s about building something better,” she posted to X June 10.
The “No Kings Day” protests were held on the same day as Trump’s military parade in Washington, D.C., celebrating the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, which also fell on the president’s birthday and Flag Day. An estimated 1,500 “No Kings Day” protests unfolded across the nation, including in Los Angeles, which has been rocked by violent anti-Trump and anti-ICE riots since June 6, when federal law enforcement officials converged on the city to conduct immigration raids.
Protests in Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, spiraled into violence Saturday. Four law enforcement officers were injured during a riot in Portland, while law enforcement in Los Angeles were forced to deploy tear gas, flash-bangs and a dispersal order, with the LAPD citing “people in the crowd (were) throwing rocks, bricks, bottles and other objects” at officers.
Fox News Digital reached out to the AFT for additional comment from the union and Weingarten regarding the DNC departure and negative conservative reactions but did not immediately receive a reply.
Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavey and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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