Trump signs executive order to end Department of Education
Trump previously claimed he had told Secretary of Education Linda McMahon: ‘I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job.’
Though the president’s executive order can strongly limit what the Department does, it would need an act of Congress to fully abolish it.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to abolish the Department of Education.
President Trump signed the order on Thursday, starting the process of limiting the Department’s powers.
The White House previously announced that the president would instruct Secretary of Education Linda McMahon “to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure (of) the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”
The administration has been working on the executive order at least since February to fulfill a campaign promise. The president previously said that he had told Secretary McMahon: “I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job.”
Then-candidate Trump also vowed in October, 2023: “One other thing I’ll be doing very early in the administration is closing up the Department of Education in Washington D.C., and sending all education and education work and needs back to the states . . . We want them to run the education of our children because they’ll do a much better job of it.”
Before the signing of the order, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said on Wednesday: “President Trump’s executive order to expand educational opportunities will empower parents, states, and communities to take control and improve outcomes for all students.”
Though the president’s executive order will limit the Department of Education’s powers, it would require an act of Congress to completely and permanently abolish the Department.
[RELATED: Dept. of Ed employees offered $25k to quit ahead of layoffs]
The Trump administration has already fired many Department employees. The Department announced on March 11 that it “initiated a reduction in force (RIF) impacting nearly 50% of the Department’s workforce.”
“When President Trump was inaugurated, the Department’s workforce stood at 4,133 workers. After today’s actions, the Department’s workforce will total roughly 2,183 workers. Included in the reduction in force are nearly 600 employees who accepted voluntary resignation opportunities and retirement over the last seven weeks,” the Department revealed.
