'Who Wants to Tell Him?': Why One Line From Union Boss's DNC Speech Stands Out

Leah Barkoukis | August 20, 2024 9:00 AM

During the first night of the Democratic National Convention, a group of union leaders took to the stage to shore up support among workers for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. But one union president, Claude Cummings Jr. of the Communications Workers of America, unintentionally exposed the destructive efforts of teachers unions during the pandemic.

Speaking about the “digital divide” during the COVID lockdowns, Cummings Jr. lamented that “too many kids were forced to go online class in McDonald’s parking lots.”

His point was that Vice President Kamala Harris “helped pass the largest investment in broadband ever,” but conservatives jumped on the opportunity to remind him why those kids were stuck in virtual classrooms for so long.

School choice activist Corey DeAngelis responded to the clip circulating on X with headlines referencing how teachers unions were the driving force in keeping schools closed.

Never forget. pic.twitter.com/hXMuqLvx7d
— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) August 20, 2024

pic.twitter.com/XCUJKj2CHP
— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) August 20, 2024

"Analyzing local district reopening plans, however, we find that decisions were more tied to local political partisanship and union strength than to COVID-19 severity. Republicans in the public were also more favorable than Democrats toward in-person learning." pic.twitter.com/z3rDJwOE0M
— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) August 20, 2024