Mike Pompeo challenges Randi Weingarten to a debate on her 'threat' to America

close

Video

Teachers’ unions ‘at the center’ of undermining America’s foundation: Mike Pompeo

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discusses the growing threat from China following a Pentagon report warning the country could triple its nuclear arsenal and explains why he challenged Randi Weingarten to a debate.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo doubled down on his attacks on American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten Wednesday after challenging her to a debate on the "threat" she poses to America.

"I think it'd be important for the American people to see if we should give power to parents or power to Randi Weingarten," Pompeo told "America Reports." "I'm happy to have that debate with her. I think the American people would benefit from it. And I am confident that most Americans would see that the threat that she and her teachers' unions posed to our students is real and something we have to confront."

Pompeo labeled Weingarten "the most dangerous person in the world" in an interview last week, expanding on the argument in an op-ed in The New York Post Tuesday. 

DOJ SCHOOL BOARD MEMO 1 YEAR LATER: LAWMAKERS OUTRAGED OVER LACK OF ANSWERS

AFT president Randi Weingarten joined the hosts of "Morning Joe" on Wednesday.  (Screenshot/MSNBC/MorningJoe)

"I fear America is on a path to disintegration due to persistent failures in our education system. American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten and her fellow travelers have crippled our nation’s schools," he wrote. "The danger she presents to our nation is clear and real and exceeds that of all the bad guys I battled abroad for four years as secretary of state and CIA director. I said she’s the most dangerous person in America because it is true. Her power, her ideas and her anti-student policies must be confronted."

Weingarten responded to Pompeo, telling on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" last week that the former secretary was "hurting kids" and using this as part of a bid to win the Republican primary in a potential 2024 presidential run.

Pompeo argued on "America Reports" that Weingarten and the teachers' unions possess the ability to undermine America's foundation and limit the next generation. 

American Federation of Teachers chief Randi Weingarten famously pushed shutdowns but has not received criticism from most major media outlets.  (Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"We're not even teaching that America is an exceptional nation where we are undermining the very foundation of our nation inside our schools. And the teachers' union and Randi Weingarten in particular, have been at this for decades," he said.

Pompeo also touched on the Nation's Report Card from October which has shown a dramatic decline in reading and math scores from pre-pandemic levels. The average mathematics score for fourth-grade students fell five points from 2019 to 2022. The score for eight-graders dropped eight points. Reading for both grades fell three points since 2019.

TEACHERS' UNION HEAD SILENT OVER LATEST US TEST SCORES SHOWING TROUBLING DECLINE IN MATH, READING

Video

In addition to declining reading and math scores, Pompeo also highlighted the shift in curriculum where unions are pushing gender ideology and CRT over the nation's history and founding principles. 

"If we get it wrong in our schools, if our teachers' unions take away power from parents and don't give parents the capacity to know what their kids are learning, and we don't teach civics and real history and the things that matter most, the foundational ideas of our country, then -- Lincoln talked about it, our founders talked about it -- the nation, our republic most likely crumbles from within, not from a foreign adversary," he warned.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"I think the teachers' unions are at the center of undermining these very ideas in our K-through-12 educational system today."

Fox News' Yael Halon contributed to this report.