BOZEMAN, Mont. – Former President Trump’s speech in Bozeman on Friday evening caused a stir, focusing on educational policies and his intentions for significant changes if reelected.
“On day one, I will sign a new executive order to cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content onto the lives of our children,” Trump declared. He also promised, “I will not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate.”
Transgender issues were a major talking point in Trump’s speech. He, along with others, strongly opposed transgender participation in sports, emphasizing, “we don’t want men competing in women’s sports.”
This position resonated with the crowd, resulting in some of the biggest cheers of the night.
NonStop Local’s Bradley Warren and political analyst Mike Dennison analyzed the feasibility of Trump’s promises, suggesting that cutting federal funding might necessitate passing a law through Congress. They also questioned the significance of federal funding in school budgets and raised concerns about the involvement of local school boards in such decisions.
Trump’s opposition to vaccine mandates also sparked discussions. Dennison pointed out that schools and daycares have historically mandated vaccinations for diseases like measles, mumps, and whooping cough. Warren questioned the viability of penalizing schools that enforce such vaccinations, noting that proof of vaccination has been a common requirement for admission to public schools.
Another issue addressed was Critical Race Theory (CRT). Dennison and Warren concurred that CRT isn’t widely taught in Montana. Warren also highlighted that Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction, Elsie Arntzen, has typically been against including CRT in the state’s education system.
Trump’s speech was packed with bold statements that reflect ongoing debates in education and public health policy.
