Trump's vow to cut school funds over vaccine mandates would hit red states hard: analysis

Donald Trump has pledged not to support giving federal funds to schools that implemented vaccine or mask mandates — but people are noticing that it would be schools in red states that would be hit hardest by the proposed policy.

Trump made the pledge while speaking at a rally in South Carolina last month but, as Newsweek points out, all states and territories have implemented some level of vaccine requirement, although the mandates differ in scope from place to place.

Trump didn't offer any specific details on his proposed policy, which left people to wonder if he's really willing to follow through with it if elected president.

"Hoping he doesn't really mean it, since it would create a public health catastrophe for the nation," Dr. Peter Hotez, dean at the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, wrote on X.

Also read: Ex-Trump lawyer's 'fog of deceit' exposed by newly discovered texts: expert

GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock, who is a frequent critic of Trump, commented on how the policy would affect her state of Virginia.

"Like most states, Virginia requires MMR vaccine, chickenpox vaccine, polio, etc. So Trump would take millions in federal funds away from all Virginia public schools," she wrote in a post to X.

States even more conservative than Virginia require vaccines for schools, such as Texas, which requires students to be vaccinated against at least nine viruses, only allowing for medical or religious exemptions. Florida, which is currently experiencing a measles outbreak, requires at least seven vaccines, but also provides the same exemptions as Texas.

From Newsweek: "Trump was vaccinated against COVID-19 and has touted Operation Warp Speed, his administration's effort to quickly roll out the COVID-19 vaccine, as helping to save lives. His stance on vaccines has at times left him at odds with his most conservative voters, some of whom have rejected vaccines.

"While he has said the vaccine is safe, he has also opposed the government requiring individuals to get vaccinated if they opt not to do so."