Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is facing backlash after endorsing a new book by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten titled Why Fascists Fear Teachers. In a post on X, Clinton praised the book as a “critical read for this moment,” highlighting its focus on the importance of public education in defending democracy. The photo accompanying the post showed Weingarten holding a copy of her book, which argues that authoritarians target education systems to consolidate control.
Conservatives quickly criticized Clinton’s endorsement, claiming it contributes to dangerous rhetoric that vilifies political opponents. The backlash comes just a week after the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Some critics linked the book’s language to the climate of hostility they say led to Kirk’s death. “They wrote an entire book on a word they don’t even understand,” said Huntington Beach councilmember Andrew Gruel. GOP figures and influencers accused Clinton and Weingarten of stoking division.
Republican commentators pointed to what they see as a pattern of inflammatory language from the political left. The Republican National Committee wrote, “Democrats Hillary Clinton and Randi Weingarten are still suggesting Republicans are ‘fascists.’ They really can’t help themselves, can they?” Other voices on the right argued that labeling opponents as fascists has become a dangerous and irresponsible political tactic.
Weingarten defended the book, calling it a “love letter to teachers.” The book’s central argument is that education empowers citizens to resist propaganda, making educators a threat to authoritarian regimes. Critics, however, claim the AFT has focused too heavily on political messaging and not enough on core academic priorities such as reading, math, and science.
Former President Obama weighed in earlier this week, calling Kirk’s assassination a “tragedy,” but also warned that divisive political rhetoric—including from the Trump era—has fueled a broader national crisis. Conservatives, in turn, argue that it is the left’s ongoing use of terms like “fascist” that escalates tensions and contributes to political violence.
