Earlier today, the White House press secretary acknowledged that the Department of Education will not be fully abolished. However, she noted that it will be “much smaller.”
WASHINGTON ― On Thursday, President Donald Trump instructed his administration to begin the process of dismantling the Department of Education as part of a key campaign promise. However, the White House has conceded that the agency cannot be entirely eliminated.
Surrounded by a group of students at school desks, Trump signed the long-anticipated executive order during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, which was attended by several Republican governors and state education officials.
Trump stated that he intends to abolish the department “once and for all.”
“We are going to eliminate it, and everyone knows it’s the right thing to do,” he declared.
The president directed his education secretary, Linda McMahon, to take “all necessary actions to expedite the closure of the Department of Education and to return educational authority to the States,” as outlined in a White House summary of the executive order, which has been in preparation for several weeks.
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However, the immediate effects of the order are uncertain, as only Congress holds the power to completely dismantle a federal agency. Additionally, the federal government does not dictate school curricula; that responsibility has traditionally belonged to states and local districts.
“The Democrats understand it’s the right move, and I hope they consider voting for it when it comes to a vote,” Trump told those gathered for the order’s signing.
Prior to the signing event, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt informed journalists that the Education Department, established by Congress in 1979 during Carter’s presidency, wouldn’t be completely abolished under Trump’s direction but would indeed be reduced to a level “much smaller than its current size.”
The order simultaneously mandates the department to cease operations while ensuring an “uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits that Americans depend on.” Leavitt stated that federal Title I funding and resources for students with disabilities—as well as Pell Grants and loans to support college students—will still be managed by the department.
Furthermore, programs utilizing “any remaining Department of Education funding” will not be allowed to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, or “gender ideology,” as per the White House’s announcement.
Trump’s directive follows the Education Department’s recent issuance of termination notices to over 1,300 employees as part of widespread “reductions in force” efforts throughout the federal government, spearheaded by the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, which operates under billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk.
Through layoffs and voluntary buyouts, the Trump administration has reduced the department’s workforce from over 4,000 employees to approximately 2,000 since the beginning of Trump’s second term.
Republicans have long claimed that the federal government wields too much power over local and state education matters. Trump expressed last month that he hoped McMahon would ultimately “put herself out of a job.”
Trump and many Republicans have frequently relied on data from the Education Department’s research section, which the administration has significantly downsized. This has raised concerns about how the government will monitor student progress following Trump’s adjustments to the department.
Expanding Presidential Authority
Trump’s executive order raises important questions about the limits of presidential power following a recent federal court ruling in Maryland that blocked his administration’s attempts to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Democrats in Congress condemned what they viewed as an overtly illegal action by Trump, with teachers’ unions pledging to initiate legal action to prevent the government from dismantling the department.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, succinctly responded to Trump’s plans: “See you in court,” she said in a statement released Wednesday.
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a leading appropriator of funding, stated that Trump is wielding a “wrecking ball” against the agency while being fully aware that he cannot disband the Department of Education without congressional approval.
“However, he recognizes that if you eliminate all the staff and dismantle it completely, you might achieve a similar, devastating outcome,” she noted.
Student loan borrower advocates echoed similar sentiments, criticizing the executive order.
“Let’s be clear: there’s no Executive Order that the President can sign to lawfully abolish the Department of Education,” said Aaron Ament, president of the National Student Legal Defense Network. “Linda McMahon has recognized that. The real consequence of this directive will simply be more challenges and confusion for students and their families.”
Connect with Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison and Zachary Schermele @ZachSchermele.
