Trump Signs Order to Begin “Eliminating” U.S. Education Department
Washington, D.C. – President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday aimed at dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, fulfilling a long-standing conservative objective to return control of education to individual states.
Surrounded by schoolchildren seated at desks in the East Room of the White House, Trump smiled as he held up the order after signing it during a special ceremony.
“This order marks the beginning of eliminating the federal Department of Education once and for all,” Trump declared. “We’re shutting it down as quickly as possible. It’s doing us no good. Education belongs to the states.”
The Department of Education, established in 1979, cannot be abolished without congressional approval. However, Trump’s order is expected to significantly cut its funding and staff, effectively weakening its influence.
This move delivers on one of Trump’s key campaign promises and represents a major step in his broader government restructuring, supported by tech billionaire Elon Musk.
The executive order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the states.”
Strong Reactions from Both Sides
The decision has sparked intense opposition from Democrats and educators. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned it as a “tyrannical power grab” and “one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken.”
Republican leaders, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, were present at the signing ceremony in support of the move.
Trump framed the decision as a cost-saving measure aimed at improving educational standards, arguing that U.S. schools lag behind those in Europe and China. However, education has long been a battleground in America’s culture wars, with conservatives advocating for reduced federal oversight.
‘A Beautiful Day to Dismantle the Department’
Trump’s appointment of McMahon—the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment—as education secretary was widely seen as a sign that the department’s days were numbered.
At the ceremony, Trump expressed hope that McMahon would be the final education secretary, while she emphasized the administration’s goal of redirecting federal education funds to states without Washington’s bureaucracy.
Trump had previously pledged to eliminate the department and return its powers to state governments, similar to how abortion rights have been devolved. However, the White House acknowledged that a scaled-down version of the department might remain to handle “critical functions,” such as student loans and grants for low-income students.
“The Department of Education will be much smaller than it is today,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated before the signing.
The conservative Heritage Foundation, which has played a key role in shaping many of Trump’s policies through its “Project 2025” initiative, praised the move. “It’s a beautiful day to dismantle the Department of Education,” the group posted on X.
The Role of Federal Education Funding
Historically, the U.S. government has played a limited role in education, contributing only about 13% of funding for primary and secondary schools, with the rest coming from state and local governments. However, federal funding has been crucial for low-income schools, students with special needs, and the enforcement of civil rights protections.
Trump, along with Musk and Musk’s Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE), has already dismantled several federal agencies by cutting programs and staff.
Earlier this week, a similar effort to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development was temporarily halted by a federal judge, who ruled that the move likely violated the U.S. Constitution.
