Trump slams Los Angeles for ‘terrible decision’ to keep schools closed
President Donald Trump took aim at Los Angeles school officials for what he called a “terrible decision” this week to keep classrooms closed this fall amid the surge of coronavirus cases in Southern California.
Trump said during an interview with CBS News on Tuesday that it was a “mistake” for Los Angeles schools to remain closed and called for new leadership of the nation’s second-largest school district.
“I would tell parents and teachers that you should find yourself a new person – whoever’s in charge of that decision because it’s a terrible decision,” he said. “Because children and parents are dying from that trauma, too. They're dying because they can't do what they're doing. Mothers can’t go to work because all of a sudden they have to stay home and watch their child — and fathers.”
Trump’s comments come as major U.S. school districts in states with rising coronavirus cases are defying his demands that classrooms physically reopen this fall.
The Los Angeles and San Diego school districts, which collectively enroll more than 700,000 students, both announced on Monday that they will start the coming school year online, vowing to return to physical classrooms when public health conditions permit.
“While the new school year will begin in August, it will not start with students at school facilities,” Austin Beutner, superintendent of Los Angeles Unified, said on Monday. “The health and safety of all in the school community is not something we can compromise.”
New York City schools have announced they will offer a mix of in-person classes and online learning. In suburban Washington, D.C., Maryland's largest district is proposing to start the year with virtual learning.
“It is a balancing act but we have to open the schools,” Trump told CBS News. He also repeated his allegations that Democrats oppose reopening schools because they want to harm the economy and hurt his reelection chances.
