Politics

‘Stop This Political Nonsense’: Trump Calls For Schools To Reopen, Blames Democrats For Closures

(Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Anders Hagstrom White House Correspondent
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President Donald Trump said it is “political nonsense” for the nation’s schools to remain closed due to coronavirus, saying they must reopen to take a burden off both students and parents across the country.

“We have to open our schools. Open our schools. Stop this nonsense,” Trump said. “It’s only political nonsense. They don’t want to open because they think it will help them on November 3rd. I think it will hurt them on November 3rd.”

Trump went on to argue Democrats are intentionally seeking to keep schools closed because they believe it will help them win elections in November. Trump also pointed out that several European countries have reopened schools and have yet to see consequences.

Trump’s comments came during a signing event for a new executive order seeking to increase Hispanic Americans’ access to schools of their choice.

The order came as the latest move in Trump’s ongoing push for school choice, which he says is a key tool for addressing racial inequity in the United States. The order establishes the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative, which will focus on “improving Hispanic Americans’ access to educational and economic opportunities, exploring and promoting opportunities for Hispanic Americans both through and outside traditional education options,” the White House told the Daily Caller. (RELATED: White House Praises SCOTUS For Striking Down State Law Banning Aid To Religious Schools)

“I’m going to fight to ensure that every Hispanic American parent has the freedom and the right to send your child to the public, private, charter, faith-based, magnet, home, or independent school of your choice,” Trump said in the Rose Garden on Thursday. “No American student should ever be trapped in a failing government school.” (RELATED: ‘Mommy And Daddy’ Escort ‘Antifa Kid’ Suspected Of Kicking Off Riot To Turn Himself In)

Trump appointed former Republican New Mexico Lt. Gov. John Sanchez as the initiative’s executive director. The order also establishes the President’s Advisory Commission on Hispanic Prosperity, which, in addition to advising the president, will seek to expand Hispanic access to “apprenticeships, internships, fellowships, mentorships, and work-based learning initiatives,” according to the White House.