Trump's Bold Move: Dismantling the US Department of Education – Controversy Unleashed!
Former President Donald Trump is fully aware that he cannot dismantle the Department of Education without congressional approval. However, by drastically cutting staff and rendering it ineffective, he could achieve a similarly destructive outcome, according to U.S. Senator Patty Murray.
PUSHING FOR ELIMINATIONOn Thursday, Trump reiterated his intention to completely shut down the department. He also implied that Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who was present at the White House gathering, should essentially eliminate her own role.
The Department of Education supervises approximately 100,000 public schools and 34,000 private institutions across the United States. Despite this, over 85% of public school funding is sourced from state and local governments. The department provides financial assistance for underfunded schools, including grants for special education teachers, arts initiatives, and infrastructure improvements.
Additionally, the department manages $1.6 trillion in student loans held by millions of Americans who cannot afford college tuition outright.
For now, Trump’s executive order seeks to drastically reduce the department's functions, limiting it to overseeing student loans, Pell Grants for low-income students, and resources for special needs education.
“We’re shutting it down, and we’re doing it fast,” Trump declared. “It’s not benefiting us.”
Even with Republican control in both chambers of Congress, a complete shutdown would require Democratic support to secure the necessary 60 Senate votes. At the White House event, Trump acknowledged that the matter might ultimately require a congressional vote to decide the department’s fate.
Trump has admitted that gaining approval from Democratic lawmakers and teachers' unions is essential to fulfilling his campaign promise of dissolving the department—an outcome that appears highly unlikely.
“See you in court,” Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, responded in a statement.
Most Americans oppose closing the department. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last month found that 65% of respondents disapproved of eliminating it, compared to just 30% in favor. The poll, conducted online with a nationwide sample of 4,145 U.S. adults, had a margin of error of approximately two percentage points.
Federal education funding is distributed unevenly across the political spectrum. Republican-leaning states receive a greater share, with federal aid comprising 15% of K-12 school funding in states that supported Trump in the 2024 election, compared to 11% in states that voted for Democratic opponent Kamala Harris, according to a Reuters analysis of Census Bureau data.
Two of the department’s largest programs—assistance for low-income schools and funding for special education—would be among the most affected by its dissolution.
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