Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump got the parental seal of approval on Monday night in Davenport, Iowa, for promising to withhold funding from public schools that implemented vaccine or mask mandates.
“I will not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate, kindergarten through college,” he told the crowd.
Trump’s comments came amid remarks delivered to Iowans at a campaign event focused on his 2024 presidential America First Policy for education.
In his speech, Trump heralded the Republican state that didn’t close their businesses and schools during the coronavirus pandemic, complimenting states like Iowa and South Dakota for refusing to bow down to pressure.
“…many of them didn’t close at all, and they had a lot of pressure, but not from me,” he said.
The president also lauded Iowa for being among the first states in the nation to pass “universal school choice,” and vowed that “as president, I will fight to expand that right to every single state in the Union.”
According to the Washington Examiner, Iowa passed legislation in January to enact school choice for families, allotting around than $7,000 per year for all K-12 students by 2025 through an “education savings account” that could be used toward private school tuition and more.
Iowa, however, is the second nation in the state to implement universal school choice. In 2022, Arizona became the first state in the nation to increase educational options for children. Via The Center Square, then-Governor Doug Ducey, R-Ariz., signed the legislation into law (HB 2853) in July 2022.
Via RSBN, Trump also promised to revive “parental rights” and stop the infusion of racially and sexually charged curriculum in the public school system.
“I will immediately sign a new EO to cut federal funding for any school that’s pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity and any other racial, sexual or political content on our children – THEY’RE CHILDREN,” he said.