In a tweet, Duncan claimed that those who don't wear masks are "strikingly similar" to the extremists who killed and injured hundreds of Americans and Afghans by suicide bombing, per the Star News Network. 

"They both blow themselves up, inflict harm on those around them, and are convinced they are fighting for freedom," the tweet reads.

Have you noticed how strikingly similar both the mindsets and actions are between the suicide bombers at Kabul's airport, and the anti-mask and anti-vax people here?
They both blow themselves up, inflict harm on those around them, and are convinced they are fighting for freedom.

— Arne Duncan (@arneduncan) August 29, 2021

To no surprise, Duncan faced harsh backlash for his far-fetched – and quite frankly, tone-deaf – comparison.