President Trump Plans to Dismantle the Department of Education

According to White House insiders, President Trump is poised to initiate the process of dismantling the Department of Education, although he faces significant political and policy challenges. An executive order, which could be issued as early as this Friday, would instruct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “facilitate the closure of the Education Department” to the fullest extent legally permissible.

A draft of the order criticizes the federal management of American education, stating, “The experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars — and the unaccountable bureaucrats those programs and dollars support — has failed our children, our teachers and our families.” However, the final wording may change before President Trump signs it.

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President Trump expressed his intentions to reporters on Thursday, emphasizing the need to return control of education to the states. He remarked, “If they run their own education, they’re going to do a lot better than somebody sitting in Washington, D.C., that couldn’t care less about the pupils out in the Midwest.” He acknowledged that not all states would excel but predicted that about 40 states would perform “great,” citing Iowa and Indiana as examples of states that manage their education systems effectively.

Democrats have voiced strong opposition to the closure of the Department of Education, arguing that it would lead to the privatization of schools and make quality education unaffordable for many. Senator Christopher Murphy of Connecticut criticized the move, stating, “The billionaires that are in charge of our government right now send their kids to elite private schools, and if every public school disappears in this country, they will still be able to get their kids an education. If the Department of Education closes, it’s going to hurt millions of families in this country. It will enable the theft of resources of millions of Americans to pad the pockets of billionaires.”

President Trump has long criticized the Education Department, claiming it has strayed from its core mission and become overly involved in promoting specific ideological agendas. Recently, his administration has taken steps to reduce the department’s influence by cutting programs and reducing staff.

The Department of Education, one of the smallest Cabinet-level agencies with about 4,500 employees, plays a crucial role in distributing federal financial aid and enforcing nondiscrimination policies in schools. Despite its size, it manages less than 10% of the nation’s public school funding.

While a president cannot unilaterally close a Cabinet-level department—such an action would require a 60-vote majority in the Senate—the executive order would direct Secretary McMahon to scale back the department’s activities. McMahon, who was sworn in on Monday, has already indicated her commitment to reducing the department’s size and influence, stating in an email to staff that she aims to “send education back to the states.”

The proposed dismantling plan, influenced by the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, suggests transferring some of the department’s functions to other agencies like the Treasury, Justice, and Labor Departments.

Neal McCluskey of the Cato Institute supports the idea, believing that other departments could handle these functions more effectively. However, Michelle Dimino from Third Way warns that such transfers could disrupt services critical to students and schools, potentially causing financial harm.

The move to abolish the Education Department has been a topic among Republicans since its inception in 1979. President Reagan also campaigned on this promise but was unable to fulfill it due to lack of congressional support. The current push by President Trump represents the most significant threat to the department since its establishment.

Despite the controversy, polls indicate that a majority of Americans oppose the elimination of the Department of Education. Critics argue that its functions are vital to the everyday lives of students and should be preserved and managed effectively.

While President Trump did not attempt to close the department during his first term, he proposed significant budget cuts, which were ultimately rejected by lawmakers who instead increased its funding.