AFT boss Randi Weingarten promotes her book suggesting Trump is a fascist in wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination
Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), is facing backlash for promoting her new book that calls out fascist-like behavior in American politics. The book, titled “Why Fascists Fear Teachers,” hit shelves this week, right after the shocking assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Many critics say the timing feels off, especially as investigators probe the killing as a possible act of political violence.
Weingarten’s book tour has her hitting podcasts, webinars, and social media hard. Her publisher calls it a “manifesto for our time,” focusing on how strong critical thinking in education can fight back against authoritarianism. In a Rolling Stone excerpt, she writes that democracy thrives on people power, but fascists push for control by one leader or elites. She points to Donald Trump and Elon Musk as examples, saying Trump’s second-term Cabinet could be the richest ever—worth over $382 billion, more than the GDP of 172 countries. Teachers, she argues, build the critical thinking skills that resist such power grabs.
But Weingarten insists she’s not labeling anyone a fascist. An AFT spokesperson told The New York Post she’s just describing “fascistic behavior.” In her own words on social media, “This new book that I wrote, I don’t actually call anyone a fascist. I describe what fascists do and why they fear teachers. You make your own decisions.”
The promotion got a big boost from Hillary Clinton, who tweeted her support on Wednesday. “Congratulations to my friend [Weingarten] on Why Fascists Fear Teachers,” Clinton wrote. “From banning books to controlling curriculum, authoritarians go after public education because it’s a cornerstone of democracy. Randi’s new book is a critical read for this moment.”
Conservatives aren’t buying it. The backlash exploded online, especially since Kirk’s alleged killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, left anti-fascist messages on bullet casings—like “Hey fascist! Catch!” and “Oh bella ciao, bella ciao,” a nod to an Italian anti-fascist song. Authorities describe Robinson as “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology.”
Journalist Chuck Ross tweeted, “The room. That’s what y’all should read,” slamming the rhetoric. Corey A. DeAngelis, a senior fellow at the American Culture Project, posted, “She’s moving full speed ahead with this sick rhetoric right after Charlie Kirk’s assassination. She needs to resign in disgrace.” Republican communicator Matt Whitlock added, “It’s been one week since Charlie Kirk was murdered by a lunatic who wrote about ‘fascists’ on shell casings. Now, Randi Weingarten has a new book arguing everyone who disagrees with her views on public education – which have destroyed public education in America – is a fascist.”
Trump himself has blamed “radical left” rhetoric for the violence, saying it compares “wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers.” He urged an end to such talk last week, calling it “directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today.”
Weingarten hit back at critics during a Fox News Digital interview, asking, “Have they read the book? If they did they’d discover it’s a love letter to teachers.” As the debate rages on, the book has sparked fierce discussions about education, fascism, and political tensions in the US.
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