AFT President Weingarten Responds to Elon Musk's Attacks on Educators

Education Union Leader Responds to Criticism from Elon Musk

WASHINGTON—In the wake of a public critique by Elon Musk on X, AFT President Randi Weingarten has issued statements on the social media platform Bluesky. The confrontation centers around educational funding and taxation.

Weingarten's statements, accessible here and here, address Musk's comments, accusing him of targeting educators to promote tax cuts benefiting the wealthy. "The world's richest person is targeting me and other teachers because we are fighting for vital federal education programs that help families and students," Weingarten stated. She further criticized the notion of diverting funds from vulnerable student groups, saying, "Stop taking money from poor kids and kids with disabilities."

Weingarten also connected her response to a broader financial discourse, as seen in a recent appeal to investors regarding teachers' pension funds. She compared Musk's online conduct to that of "an angry toddler," asserting such behavior is unacceptable for those in influential positions, whether in classrooms or corporate leadership. "This behavior wouldn't even fly in our classrooms, so it shouldn’t fly for billionaires running our government," she emphasized.

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) represents a broad spectrum of educational and public service professionals, including 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals, higher education faculty, and more.

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