Did the NEA and AFT even consider Trump?

I don't think that any rational person expected Donald Trump to win endorsements from the NEA or AFT. That doesn't mean that union leaders should immediately dismiss him for their endorsements. The reason for this is simple. A union is supposed to represent its members, not the other way around.


By dismissing Trump early on, there wasn't enough time to gather appropriate feedback. This would have to be a decision handed to members from the top. This would indicate that the leaders had to make the decision without listening to its members.

Again, Trump wasn't going to win over these unions. Even so, their approach raises serious procedural issues. It should be the members who reject Trump, not the leaders. If the leaders feel like they can dismiss a candidate without feedback, what else are they dismissing without feedback?

To make matters worse, the AFT actually put the ability to beat Trump on their list of criteria for selecting a candidate. Again, it should be the members who select the candidate. As such, it should be the members who have their own reasons for selecting the candidate of their choice. The union should not dictate the reasoning for their members' choices.