People questioned the state of Don Jr.'s mental health after he posted a video in which he bashed teachers unions while using a wall of firearms as his background.
The eldest son of the former President tweeted a video on Saturday in which he discussed the many failures of the teachers union and their poor handling of opening schools amidst the pandemic.
School reopening negotiations have been contentious in many states and in large districts.
According to a new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis, nearly 1 in 4 teachers are at an increased risk for serious illness if they contract the viral pathogen responsible for the global health crisis.
Many teachers have spoken out against returning to classrooms without safety protocols in place—like having every teacher receive vaccinations—because they are afraid of getting exposed to the virus from students who may not suffer or exhibit symptoms. Teachers also fear bringing it home to high-risk family members.
Katharine Strunk—a professor at Michigan State University—said:
"The unions have made it pretty clear that they do not want teachers back in school buildings until they're 100 percent sure they're safe."
Don Jr. claimed teachers unions "failed our children" in an aggressive rant in a video titled "These teachers unions are seriously getting ridiculous."
Don Jr. said:
"You've seen what they've done over the last couple of months, the way they've basically held up progress, prevented schools from opening."
He continued:
"The teachers union and those representing them have definitely failed our children in terms of education and everything else. I mean, the teachers union has certainly failed the science they're supposed to be teaching us, because, again, it's all political."
Those who saw the video thought Don Jr.'s use of the backdrop while slamming the teachers union was in poor taste "in the era of school shootings."
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Some expressed concern about his sanity.
Others suggested the video's content was evocative of something "extremists" would post.
Journalist Aaron Rupar said Don Jr.'s tirade was like:
"an extremist video posted from a bunker of undisclosed location."
"Why are conservatives silent about this terrorist when they would be outraged if this same video would have been done by a Muslim."
Many also suggested the former President's son was showing signs of suffering from a cocaine addiction—a frequent allegation he has repeatedly denied.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintained schools in communities with low levels of the virus can safely reopen with safety measures in place, like social-distancing and the requiring of masks in the classroom.
But many teachers in communities that have not abided by the measures, even before the availability of the vaccines, remain concerned for their safety and are apprehensive about returning.
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