Former Secretary of State Pompeo calls teachers' union head 'the most dangerous person in the world'

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten the "most dangerous" individual on the planet, accusing teachers' unions of pushing "filth" on children.

"I tell the story often — I get asked 'Who's the most dangerous person in the world? Is it Chairman Kim, is it Xi Jinping?' The most dangerous person in the world is Randi Weingarten," Pompeo said, according to Semafor. "It's not a close call. If you ask, 'Who’s the most likely to take this republic down?' It would be the teacher’s unions, and the filth that they’re teaching our kids, and the fact that they don't know math and reading or writing."

"If our kids don't grow up understanding America is an exceptional nation, we're done. If they think it's an oppressor class and an oppressed class, if they think the 1619 Project, and we were founded on a racist idea — if those are the things people entered the seventh grade deeply embedded in their understanding of America, it's difficult to understand how Xi Jinping's claim that America is in decline won't prove true," Pompeo said, according to the outlet.

Weingarten has retweeted a post that claimed "it's crucial to teach queer history" amid "#LGBTQIA+ History Month, AND the rest of the year, too."

Weingarten noted that she was unsure whether to describe Pompeo's characterization of her "as ridiculous or dangerous."

"So Mike, let me make it easy for you. We fight for freedom, democracy, and an economy that works for all. We fight for what kids & communities need. Strong public schools that are safe and welcoming, where kids learn how to think & work with others. That's the American Dream!" Weingarten asserted. "And we fight against this kind of rhetoric and hate. Maybe spend a minute in one of the classrooms with my members and their students and you will get a real lesson in the promise and potential of America," she added.

Pompeo served as the CIA director during part of former President Donald Trump's tenure before moving on to serve as secretary of state — Pompeo had previously served as a lawmaker in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now, he's considering the possibility of running for president.

"I haven't decided whether I'm going to run, and my decision whether to run doesn't depend on what lane I'm in or who else gets in the race. I've been at this for decades. The central thesis of the conservative movement is deeply embedded in my DNA, and I care about it. I think it makes America better. I think it makes life for families better," Pompeo said, according to Semafor.

Trump announced his own 2024 presidential bid last week, which means that any Republican candidates who opt to mount their own White House bids will face the former president during the GOP presidential primary.