AFT Ad Set to Air during Republican Convention Banned by Fox News

 WASHINGTON—A powerful national TV ad that was set to air during the Republican National Convention skewering President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell over their lack of a plan to reopen schools and keep kids and teachers safe, has been banned by Fox News executives.

The 30-second spot, slated to run nationally in prime time on the Fox News Channel and CNN on Wednesday and Thursday of the RNC, was submitted to the Fox network—and then rejected without reason—on the eve of its scheduled debut.

“Enough Is Enough” paints a vivid picture of the anguish caused by the president’s threats to strip funding from schools that fail to reopen, and shows how an absence of safety guardrails has created in-school superspreader events and turned children into coronavirus experiments.

In the ad, the president is shown playing golf and musing, “It is what it is,” while students and teachers, many lacking personal protective equipment, put their safety and health at risk and are told to quarantine by the thousands after botched school reopenings. The ad urges viewers to say no to Trump and McConnell’s chaos. 

Fox News previously aired an AFT ad in DC, which was critical of McConnell, on the need to pass the HEROES Act. The latest ad will still air around the country on CNN during the convention tonight and tomorrow.

“There are great journalists who work at Fox News, but it seems executives want to pick and choose how to apply the First Amendment when it comes to brave teachers telling the truth about who’s to blame for the current chaos of school reopenings,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten.

“This ad is important because it cuts to the core of the agony communities are facing as they try to reopen without a plan or resources. We agree with Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos that in-person learning is best for kids, but it has to be safe, and that means working with Congress to get the testing, tracing, school nurses and PPE we need—not hitting the golf course, pressing the pause button, or bullying and threatening teachers.

“What is Fox afraid of? We need resources and supports to keep our students safe as we reopen. People should know who is and isn’t helping.” 

The ad was produced by AL Media.

Script

TEACHER: I am very worried.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI (VO ONLY): Schools becoming superspreader events …

REPORTER: 900 students and staff are in quarantine.

News footage VO: While schools are struggling to reopen ...

VO: Where are Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell?

NO PLAN VO: They have no plan.

TRUMP: It is what it is.

VO: Students and teachers, forced to put their health and safety at risk …

Reporter: Teachers are cramming for ways to get PPE.

Aunt of kids: Our kids are being used as guinea pigs, and it’s just enraging.

VO: Enough is enough. This November, say no to Trump and McConnell’s chaos.