PRESIDENT Donald Trump has triumphantly signed an executive order stating his intentions to dismantle the Department of Education while surrounded by a classroom of kids.
Trump brought a long-time Republican policy goal to fruition after bitter Democrats made a desperate last-ditch plea for him to stop.
Before signing the order, Trump thanked some of his allies in the audience and said he was getting rid of the department “once and for all.”
“We’re going to eliminate it, and everybody knows it’s right,” he said as he mentioned declining test scores in the US.
While giving his short speech, a crew of more than a dozen kids sat at desks and waited to sign their pretend orders alongside the president.
Some of the kids hilariously yawned or put their heads on their desks as they waited for Trump to walk over.
Trump wishes to end the department for good, but a federal agency cannot be abolished without congressional approval.
Republicans will introduce a bill to make Trump’s wishes official.
For now, the president has heavily reduced the department and asked Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to step down from her position.
Trump noted in his remarks that essential benefits like Title 1 funding for low-incoming schools, Pell grants, and money for children with disabilities would continue under different departments.
The order came after the GOP has sought to close the department since it was created in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter‘s administration.
It has been a target of blame for declining academic performance and, most recently, of primarily promoting liberal ideology.
Since Trump returned to the presidency, the government department has undergone a huge shakeup.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Trump says US should take control of Ukraine’s power plants in Zelensky call” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”pV1KxHf2t” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6370242169112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]This is despite the fact its expenditure only made up 4% of the $6.8 trillion spent by the federal government in 2024.
The Department of Education’s workforce has been trimmed by almost 50% – from around 4,133 staffers to 2,183.
Trump’s plan has sparked fury among Democrats, including prominent senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.
Warren has specifically called out the administration’s decision to remove a complaint button from the college financial aid webpage.
Almost 300,000 complaints were submitted in 2024.
Warren believes such a move would put borrowers at risk of being taken advantage of by scammers.
“Donald Trump is telling students that if you’re scammed by your student loan servicer or have a problem getting the aid you need to go to college, he doesn’t care,” she told ABC News.
“Secretary McMahon is helping Trump rip opportunities away from kids who just want a good education, and as a result, real people will get hurt.”
[boxout headline=”Can Trump abolish the Department of Education on his own?” intro=”DONALD Trump is to sign an executive order ordering the Department of Education to be abolished. But can he do it on his own? “]- Trump’s executive order would not be enough to close down the department.
- He would need an Act of Congress.
- A simple majority vote in the Senate wouldn’t be enough to pass the legislation.
- He would need 60 senators to back the abolition, meaning he would have to count on seven Democrats.
- And, Trump isn’t guaranteed to have the support in the House of Representatives.
- This is despite the fact the Republicans have the majority in the chamber.
Cuts have already been made to the Office for Civil Rights and Institute of Education Sciences.
The organizations collect data on the country’s economic progress, while the OCR enforces civil rights law.
The Department of Government Efficiency taskforce, spearheaded by Elon Musk, terminated more than 160 contracts that were on the books of the Institute for Education Sciences.
Contracts that were axed included programs which track children’s learning – from kindergarten to high school.
Education research groups branded the cuts “counterproductive.”
Mazie Hirono, a Hawaii senator, blasted Musk’s chainsaw-like approach to cutting federal spending.
“We are all here to fight back because this is no time to be sitting back thinking that other people are going to fight the battles for us,” she vowed.
But, Trump is set to run into hurdles as he needs 60 senators to back any bill ordering the abolition.
The Republicans have a majority of 53 to 47.
Trump would be reliant on seven Democrats to vote through a bill.
LEGAL CHALLENGES
Trump’s executive order is likely to spark legal challenges.
Josh Cowen, professor of education policy at Michigan State University’s College of Education, described the task of dismantling the organization as “cumbersome.”
“They will all be challenged in court, adding to the flurry of lawsuits against the administration,” he said.
Scores of protesters have taken to the streets demonstrating against the sweeping layoffs.
Campaigners congregated outside the Department of Education building in Washington, with some holding up signs reading: “WWE: We Want Education.”
Linda McMahon is the wife of former WWE CEO Vince McMahon.
Kim Anderson, the executive director of the National Education Association, claimed Trump is dismantling public education.
“This agenda is about cutting funding and shipping it to private schools, it is about vouchers, make no mistake about it,” she claimed.
Earlier this week, teachers and students campaigned side-by-side in Louisville, Kentucky in opposition to the cuts, as reported by the NBC affiliate WAVE-TV.
Trump’s move to dismantle the Education Department isn’t popular among Americans, per the New York Times.
Surveys claim two-thirds of the public are against the move.
But, the idea has been championed by prominent Republicans.
Thomas Massie, a Kentucky congressman, has urged Congress to support Trump’s move.
Rand Paul revealed Trump could count on his support.
“End the federal Department of Education. Send it back to the states where it belongs. We’re ready,” Vivek Ramaswamy, a former GOP presidential candidate, said.
