Trump Has Beautiful Moment with Granddaughter After 'School Choice' Misunderstanding
White House adviser Ivanka Trump shared a picture of daughter Arabella hugging her grandfather, President Donald Trump, after attending her first “Make America Great Again” rally in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.
According to Ivanka, one topic from her father’s speech particularly caught the 9-year-old’s attention: school choice.
“So grandpa is going to allow kids to choose if we go to school or not?! Amazing!” Arabella said to her mom.
Arabella + Joseph attended their 1st MAGA rally in Pittsburgh, PA last night.
When their grandpa passionately spoke about the importance of school choice, Arabella excitedly turned to me & said “So grandpa is going to allow kids to choose if we go to school or not?! Amazing!” ? pic.twitter.com/kNSDQAIuRu
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) September 23, 2020
Arabella’s 6-year-old brother, Joseph, also attended his first campaign rally Tuesday.
During the event, the president accused Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden of putting forth a “platform that would end America as we know it.”
Our GREAT RALLY tonight in Pennsylvania. Tremendous energy! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/kL29rJe6sh
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2020
Trump said Biden would “ban school choice and all charter schools, they’re very important.”
[firefly_poll]
“In the second term, I will provide school choice to every parent in America,” the president said.
In his State of the Union address in February, Trump called on Congress to pass the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunities Act.
The legislation would inject up to $5 billion yearly into state-controlled tuition scholarship programs, according to the Department of Education.
“The next step forward in building an inclusive society is making sure that every young American gets a great education and the opportunity to achieve the American Dream,” Trump said.
“Yet, for too long, countless American children have been trapped in failing government schools,” he continued. “To rescue these students, 18 states have created school choice in the form of Opportunity Scholarships. The programs are so popular that tens of thousands of students remain on a waiting list.”
Trump highlighted the case of one such student — Janiyah Davis, a Philadelphia fourth-grader at the time who was watching the speech with her mother from the House Gallery, as guests of the president.
He informed them that their wait for a scholarship was over because she would be receiving one. “You will soon be heading to the school of your choice,” Trump said.
Last night, @realDonaldTrump presented Janiyah Davis with an opportunity scholarship and called on Congress to pass the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act.
President @realDonaldTrump is fighting for #SchoolChoice and standing up for children like Janiyah! pic.twitter.com/w90nS9owpS
— GOP (@GOP) February 5, 2020
“Now I call on Congress to give 1 million American children the same opportunity Janiyah has just received,” he said. “Pass the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunities Act — because no parent should be forced to send their child to a failing government school.”
Biden opposes these scholarships.
“When we divert public funds to private schools, we undermine the entire public education system,” the former vice president tweeted in January.
“We’ve got to prioritize investing in our public schools, so every kid in America gets a fair shot,” he said. “That’s why I oppose vouchers.”
When we divert public funds to private schools, we undermine the entire public education system. We’ve got to prioritize investing in our public schools, so every kid in America gets a fair shot. That’s why I oppose vouchers. #Espinoza
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 23, 2020
At a media briefing in late July, Trump voiced his support for parents receiving direct payments from the government if schools chose not to open in the fall due to COVID-19.
“If schools do not reopen, the funding should go to parents to send their child to public, private, charter, religious or homeschool of their choice,” the president said. “The key word being ‘choice.’ If the school is closed, the money should follow the student so the parents and families are in control of their own decisions.”
Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko of Arizona also strongly backs the proposal.
“I totally support the money following the student, and for the parent to choose whatever education is best for their child,” she told The Western Journal during a phone call with reporters last month.
Lesko pointed out that there are charter schools in her district opening for in-person learning, and parents should have the option to send their kids there.
“Teachers are essential workers, and the schools need to reopen,” she said. “But if they’re not going to reopen, parents should be able to use their taxpayer dollars and choose what’s best for their child.”
Sorry, Arabella, kids will still have to go to school, but hopefully it will be the best one for them.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
