On Sunday morning, former President Barack Obama’s Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, compared Americans who oppose getting vaccinated or wearing masks to the Islamic terrorists who attacked Kabul airport and killed 13 members of the United states military.
Duncan tweeted, “Have you noticed how strikingly similar both the mindsets and actions are between the suicide bombers at Kabul’s airport, and the anti-mask and anti-vax people here? They both blow themselves up, inflict harm on those around them, and are convinced they are fighting for freedom.”
Have you noticed how strikingly similar both the mindsets and actions are between the suicide bombers at Kabul’s airport, and the anti-mask and anti-vax people here?
They both blow themselves up, inflict harm on those around them, and are convinced they are fighting for freedom.— Arne Duncan (@arneduncan) August 29, 2021
Rep. Dan Crenshaw took no prisoners in his response, snapping, “Wow you’re a real piece of human garbage.”
Wow you’re a real piece of human garbage. https://t.co/xN7ZbKOWHt
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) August 29, 2021
He added, “Btw this guys was Secretary of Education under Obama/Biden. Will Biden denounce him?”
Btw this guys was Secretary of Education under Obama/Biden.
Will Biden denounce him?
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) August 29, 2021
Crenshaw wasn’t alone in his criticism:
GOP Congresswoman Mary Miller: “Secretary Duncan, this is a very sick thing to say during the dignified transfer of 13 US service members lost in the attack.”
Secretary Duncan, this is a very sick thing to say during the dignified transfer of 13 US service members lost in the attack. https://t.co/InRkOTmk6t
— Rep. Mary Miller (@RepMaryMiller) August 30, 2021
Former Congressman Jason Lewis: “Well no…you miserable son-of-a-bitch. But I have noticed how ISIS and the Obama/Biden 2.0 administration both seek to create fear in the minds of their neighbors in order to take away freedom of choice and push an oppressive agenda. But of course I would never compare the two…”
Well no…you miserable son-of-a-bitch. But I have noticed how ISIS and the Obama/Biden 2.0 administration both seek to create fear in the minds of their neighbors in order to take away freedom of choice and push an oppressive agenda. But of course I would never compare the two… https://t.co/SQivA9uVg7
— Jason Lewis (@LewisForMN) August 29, 2021
Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro: “Feel free to travel to Kabul any time and report from on the ground about those similarities.”
Feel free to travel to Kabul any time and report from on the ground about those similarities https://t.co/HPOTrNz7AB
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 30, 2021
Human Events’ Jack Posobiec: “This was an Obama Cabinet member. This is what they think of you.”
This was an Obama Cabinet member. This is what they think of you. https://t.co/4yAV6d02KZ
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) August 29, 2021
Ryan Petty, whose daughter Alaina was murdered in the Parkland massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018: “When you ran the Department of Ed your policies encouraged districts to ignore threats to our nation’s schools where they festered. It led to Parkland. Delete your account.”
When you ran the Department of Ed your policies encouraged districts to ignore threats to our nation’s schools where they festered. It led to Parkland.
Delete your account. https://t.co/x6WHdK2Yil
— Ryan Petty (@rpetty) August 29, 2021
Journalist Beverly Hallberg: “So because I have an autoimmune disease and waiting for clinical trials (also have natural immunity), the former Secretary of Ed thinks that I’m just as bad as suicide bombers. Got it.”
So because I have an autoimmune disease and waiting for clinical trials (also have natural immunity), the former Secretary of Ed thinks that I’m just as bad as suicide bombers. Got it. https://t.co/vK01nqG0Qe
— Beverly Hallberg (@BeverlyHallberg) August 30, 2021
Real Clear Investigations’ Mark Hemingway: “This man was in charge of public education in America.”
This man was in charge of public education in America. https://t.co/AAaSi3fi1S
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) August 30, 2021
The Atlantic’s Conor Friedersdorf: “If they were actually ‘strikingly similar’ many people would have no preference as to which to share a community with but in fact, no one is ambivalent on that question.”
If they were actually "strikingly similar" many people would have no preference as to which to share a community with but in fact, no one is ambivalent on that question. https://t.co/nitHM2uZUM
— Conor Friedersdorf (@conor64) August 30, 2021
WEX Magazine’s Jay Caruso: “It is not surprising that Duncan blew through $7 billion in five years to ‘fix crumbling schools’ and failed.”
It is not surprising that Duncan blew through $7 billion in five years to "fix crumbling schools" and failed.
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) August 30, 2021
Radio host Dan O’Donnell: “Have you noticed how strikingly similar both your intelligence level and logical reasoning capability are to those of a tree stump?”
Have you noticed how strikingly similar both your intelligence level and logical reasoning capability are to those of a tree stump? https://t.co/yYaM02F3CL
— Dan O'Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) August 29, 2021
Duncan went to college with Robert Runcie, later the superintendent of Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) at the time of the Parkland shooting. Duncan hired Runcie to run Chicago Public School district’s IT office, then later when Runcie applied for the superintendent job in Broward gave Runcie a glowing reference.
As The Daily Wire reported:
As superintendent, Runcie convinced the Broward County taxpayers to fund an $800 million bond initiative called “Safety, Music, Renovation, and Technology,” or “SMART.” According to Florida TaxWatch, in the first four years of the SMART bond’s existence, the district only spent 5% of the money on safety projects, which was far below what the district was claiming to be spending.