WASHINGTON (TND) -- One of the largest teachers unions in the U.S. released a series of advertisements Tuesday attacking former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio.
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) initiative includes both television and radio advertisements. One 30-second-long television ad titled "Team Kid" is narrated by AFT President Randi Weingarten.
Weingarten claims in the ad "everybody who cares about kids" is asking the same question about the Republican presidential ticket.
What's wrong with these guys?" she asks. "Trump and Vance want to destroy public schools."
The ad points to Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, labeling school shootings "a fact of life," a recent remark by the vice presidential nominee Republicans have argued was taken out of context.
One day after the shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, Sen. Vance told attendees of an Arizona campaign rally "I don't like that this is a fact of life, but if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets."
The ad also includes a 2021 quote by Sen. Vance in which he said people without kids "trying to brainwash the minds of our children" really "disturbs" him, pointing to Weingarten herself as someone who "doesn't have a single child."
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AFT's initiative also includes a 30-second radio ad. A male narrator says in the ad Trump and Sen. Vance "have no clue what keeps parents up at night."
Trump and Vance don't get that nothing is more important than the safety of my family and the schooling of my kids," the narrator says. "I don't need to hear any more. I've made my decision for my kids and their future."
AFT has previously made its support for the Harris-Walz campaign known. The union passed a resolution endorsingVice President Kamala Harris the same week she replaced President Joe Biden atop the Democratic presidential ticket. It also applauded Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's joining of the campaign.
Weingarten has said Gov. Walz "represents America," pointing to his previous experience as a social studies teacher and his efforts to boost funding for public schools. In August, teachers were credited as the leading profession to donate to the Harris campaign in the first 24 hours after Gov. Walz joined the ticket.