00:00In the latest sign of divide within the Democratic Party, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randy Weingarten, says she's leaving her post at the Democratic National Committee after 23 years.
00:12A letter obtained by Politico shows Weingarten rejecting an offer to stay as an at-large member June 5th.
00:18She points to disagreements with DNC Chair Ken Martin, saying, I appear to be out of step with the leadership you are forging, and I do not want to be the one who keeps questioning why we are not enlarging our tent and actively trying to engage more and more of our communities.
00:35Weingarten has pushed for a change in the party's approach after the Democrats' 2024 election losses.
00:41No one is going to save us but ourselves, but it takes courage.
00:45Weingarten backed Martin's opponent, outgoing Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wickler, in the DNC chair race earlier this year.
00:54After winning, Martin promised to unite the party.
00:57We have one team, one team, the Democratic Party. We have one fight!
01:03But the president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Lee Saunders, says it's time for new strategies.
01:10The union leader is exiting his position at the DNC, too, telling the New York Times, we must evolve to meet the urgency of this moment.
01:19The resignations are the latest rebuke of Martin, who in leaked audio obtained by Politico last month told party leaders his frustrations as chair.
01:28Martin called out former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg for his plan to primary some Democratic incumbents.
01:34The other night, I said to myself for the first time, I don't know if I want to do this anymore.
01:39Last week, Hogg said he wasn't vying to keep his role. Notably, Weingarten has defended Hogg.
