Trump Jr posts shocking video ranting about schools being closed in front of a wall lined with rifles

Donald Trump Jr has posted a rambling video lashing out at teachers’ unions for arguing against schools returning to in-person classes.

The video, which lasts just under four minutes, was originally uploaded by the former president’s son to Canadian platform Rumble on Saturday. He also posted the link on Twitter.

In the clip, which is filmed in front of a wall lined with weapons, he begins by asking “whatever happened to ‘follow the science’? It seems the Biden administration only follows the science when it actually suits them.”

He goes on to say that teachers unions have “held up progress, prevented schools from opening [and] failed our children” and added that “it seems like they’ll do anything they can to avoid going back”.

Trump Jr then lashes out at teachers for not jumping at the chance to go back to in-person classes now that a vaccine exists.

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) backed the reopening of schools across the US and released strict guidelines on how to roll reopening out safely, however some teachers’ unions have opposed this idea.

It’s a contentious issue, and one the Biden administration has been somewhat inconsistent on. The president has said on various occasions that his goal is to get schools reopened by his 100th day in office (30 April). However, he recently clarified he’s referring only to classes up to 8th Grade. There was also some confusion about how many days a week they were hoping to reopen for, with press secretary Jen Psaki saying the goal would be to open one day a week, and Biden himself saying it would be five days.

While Trump Jr’s comments criticising unions and backing the end of lockdown rules may not come as a surprise, it’s the backdrop that raised eyebrows.

People pointed out the racial double standards in the way Trump Jr posing with weapons is perceived.

Others compared him to Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert, who earlier this week posed for a House meeting conducted over Zoom in front of a bookcase piled with weapons.

And the association of re-opening schools with rifles was seen as disturbing to some.

It’s not the first time Trump Jr has posed with weapons. Just last month he shared a picture of himself grinning while holding an AR-15 rifle with an image of Hillary Clinton behind bars on the magazine.