President Trump sparked doubts about whether he has an understanding of school busing programs after giving an ambiguous answer to questions about the practice meant to reduce racial segregation in schools.
“Trump apparently believes busing refers the federal government forcing local school districts to provide children with transportation,” the Washington Post‘s Aaron Blake asserted Saturday in an article titled “Trump’s apparent ignorance of basic political terms is on full display overseas.”
“Trump has absolutely no clue what the controversy surrounding busing policy is,” Vox’s Aaron Ruper asserted.
Asher Stockler at Newsweek said Trump appeared confused by the question. Similar assessments appeared in Rolling Stone and Think Progress.
“Trump thinks busing refers to literally how children get to school, not to the school integration policy Biden and Harris were argung about,” Adam Serwer of the Atlantic said.
Trump thinks busing refers to literally how children get to school, not to the school integration policy Biden and Harris were argung about https://t.co/xD9RdJVfET
— Adam Serwer? (@AdamSerwer) June 29, 2019
George Conway, husband to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, also mocked the president.
there were also buses that took people to my terrific Trump casinos in atlantic city but the people running the buses didn’t know what they were doing and so I was really, really smart to get out of that business because it’s important to have busing that’s good https://t.co/B28ca8ruqX
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) June 29, 2019
After attending the G-20 summit in Japan, Trump was asked during a press conference about school busing after it came up during last week’s Democratic presidential debate.
“And as far as that, I will tell you in about four weeks, because we’re coming out with a certain policy that’s going to be very interesting and very surprising, I think, to a lot of people,” Trump said after ABC’s Jonathan Karl asked if he had seen Sen. Kamala Harris and Joe Biden clash over school busing.
NBC News’ Kristen Welker followed up the question by asking Trump if he thought busing was “a viable way of integrating schools.”
“Well, that’s something that they’ve done for a long period of time. You know, there aren’t that many ways you’re going to get people to schools. So this is something that’s been done. In some cases, it’s been done with a hammer instead of a velvet glove,” Trump said. “But it is certainly a primary method of getting people to schools.”
During the Democratic presidential debate, Harris slammed Biden over his past opposition to busing.
“I will direct this at vice president Biden, I do not believe you are a racist and I agree with you when you commit yourself to the importance of finding common ground, but I also believe and it’s personal and it was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on the segregation of race in this country,” the 54-year-old California Democrat said.
“It was not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose busing. There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bused to school every day. That little girl was me,” she continued.
There was a little girl in California who was bussed to school. That little girl was me. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/XKm2xP1MDH
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 28, 2019
In response, Biden, 76, said he did not oppose court-ordered busing but was against busing ordered by the Department of Education.
Still, Harris’ campaign capitalized on the moment, tweeting out a childhood picture of the senator during the debate with the caption, “There was a little girl in California who was bussed to school. That little girl was me.” She also fundraised off the image.
Biden claimed in a 1975 NPR interview that his opposition against federally mandated busing was in support of “black pride.”
