Maryland Governor Knocks Trump Administration at American Federation of Teachers Convention

Make no mistake: the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) convention wasn’t about what teachers can do for students. Instead, it was an opportunity for liberal politicians to assure attendees that they would protect teachers unions at all costs—even if that means a lesser education for students.

One example of the politicking that occurred at the meeting was Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who is not only running for reelection but also auditioning for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. In a speech that barely mentioned education, his preferred target was the Trump administration, which has dealt major blows to union power over the last 18 months.

An example of Moore’s attack on the Trump administration is highlighted in the following excerpt from his speech:

“Because we are watching how, in this moment, a federal administration is trying to disenfranchise Americans under the guise of making America great again. We are seeing how we have politicians who are trying to ban books. We have a president and a vice president who seem to be hell-bent on weakening unions, and they are trying to make the pain that they are causing permanent.

It’s been one year since Donald Trump and JD Vance got their so-called Big Beautiful Bill across the finish line. And I’ll say this: If you’re a billionaire, congratulations. You got your bill. If you’re a billionaire, you had a great year. But if you are a working family, if you are a senior, if you are a student or an educator—you got hosed by this bill.

Donald Trump and JD Vance cut Medicaid deeper than it’s ever been cut in the history of the program. In Maryland, in our state, close to 200,000 of my people could lose their health care for nothing. And our rural hospitals stand to lose a quarter of a billion dollars.

Donald Trump and JD Vance cut food assistance—as if hungry kids learn better.

And buried inside that bill is a tax scheme that takes public funding and steers it towards private schools.

So there is a real and a justified anxiety in this country, and there’s a real and a justified anger in this country.”

Moore chose to hit broad, hot-button political issues even if they were not directly related to education. While he tossed in a couple of brief claims—tying food assistance cuts to poor student performance and alleging a “scheme” to steer public funds toward private schools—he provided no facts to back up his charges.

Furthermore, Moore failed to note the strong public demand for alternatives to the traditional public school system. Democrats who control Maryland’s legislature consistently side with teachers unions to protect union monopolies at the direct expense of students. Meanwhile, property taxes—which have been rising steeply in Maryland—continue to fund expanding school budgets even as overall student enrollment declines.

Educators should be putting the interests of students first. Instead, students remain caught in the death grip of teachers unions and chronic underperformance.