AFT’s Weingarten on the Third 2016 Presidential Debate

WASHINGTON—Following the third and final 2016 presidential debate, AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement:

“Hillary Clinton came prepared. Her responses were thoughtful, nuanced, strategic, smart, caring and compassionate. She has a clear plan to keep our country and the world safe, create pathways of opportunity for our children and our families, break down barriers, and lift up those who have suffered from economic loss. She painted a picture of how we will move forward together to solve the problems facing our country and the world.

“Conversely, I gasped when Donald Trump refused to say he would accept the will of the voters, follow 240 years of precedent, and honor the core tenet of American democracy—to support a peaceful transfer of power after an election—if he loses. That is disqualifying.

“America will now choose between a candidate who is prepared and committed—someone who clearly understands the tremendous responsibility of serving in our nation’s highest office—and a man whose only allegiance is to himself, his own facts and his own beliefs.

“People want change. Hillary Clinton lifted our aspirations; Donald Trump stoked our fears. The choice tonight was clearer than ever.”