Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday, instructing U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin demolition of the Department of Education, and appears to be trying to avoid the need to obtain Congressional approval to formally close the federal department.
The administration may ultimately pursue efforts to close Congress with government agencies, Trump said at a signing ceremony at the White House on Thursday.
The federal government does not require curriculum in schools. That is the responsibility of the state and local governments, providing 90% of the funding to the schools. Nevertheless, in the White House, Trump reiterated his campaign promise to “send education back to the state.”
The executive order, which has been anticipated for weeks, directed McMahon to take all necessary steps to shut down key functions. At the signing ceremony, Trump added that he wanted McMahon to become his final education secretary.
“My administration will take all legal steps to shut down the department, and we will shut it down and close it as soon as possible.
McMahon looked to be smiling with an apology as he sat in the front row at a signature event in the East Room. Trump spoke from the stage in front of the state flag line, with a group of schoolchildren sitting at small desks pinned between each side.
The majority of the education sector’s budget consists of federal grants and loan programs, including a $18.4 billion Title I program that funds poor K-12 schools, and a $15.5 billion Ideas program that helps cover education expenses for students with disabilities.
The White House said these programs, as well as the $160 million federal student loan program, will not be affected by orders. It was not immediately clear what spending the administration could cut without cutting these initiatives.
The move comes after the administration has already taken steps to undermine departmental power by cutting the workforce in almost half and enacting a series of layoffs that have cancelled dozens of grants and contracts.
The idea of shutting down the education sector goes back to efforts by Republicans in the 1980s. However, the push has become increasingly mainstream in recent years as Pro Trump grassroots activists aimed at an agenda that promotes education standards and more inclusive policies.
Rep. Thomas Massey, a Republican from Kentucky, introduced separate one-letter bills in January, which will close the education sector at the end of 2026.
The Trump administration’s efforts to shut down the education sector assume a “statistical collection agency that spreads information to states” to remake the federal government, the right-wing manifesto of the Heritage Foundation, the project 2025 playbook.
Democrats at Capitol Hill condemned the executive order, warning that they could leave the families of millions of low-income earners who rely on federal funds at schools.
“Closing the Ministry of Education will hurt millions of children in our country’s public schools, their families and hardworking teachers. Class sizes will skyrocket, educators will be fired, and special education programs will become even more expensive.”
The progressive wing of the House Democrats’ Caucus has also denounced Trump’s orders as an unconstitutional attempt to circumvent Congress’ approval to implement his political agenda.
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“The reality is that the Trump administration doesn’t have the constitutional authority to remove the Department of Education without Congressional approval, but what they do is reimburse the institutions to manufacture chaos and promote the agenda of extremists and make them unstable,” said Democrat Maxwell Frost.
But without cutting the sector itself, the next Trump administration could change key parts of sector budgets and policies in a way felt in schools across the country, supported by right-wing backlash towards public schools that intensified after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some Republicans support the idea of sending block grants to states that are not assigned to certain programs, and instead require states to fund programs for those students, they have decided whether to fund low-income or disabled students. There may also be programs in the chopping block that do not directly affect students, such as those heading towards teacher training. So are the expansion of the use and promotion of school vouchers, and the installation of the “parent rights” policy.
In late January, Trump signed to remove funds from schools accused of executive orders to promote school choices, or the use of public dollars for private education, and “radical indoctrination.” Trump also revived the 1776 Committee to “promote patriotic education.”
The Education Department boasted that it had “dismantled” its diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the first week of the Trump administration.
Shortly after Trump took over, the department was loaded with key staff tied to a right-wing think tank, the American First Policy Institute, known as the “Waiting White House.” ThinkTank drives diversity programs and helps ban books recorded in reports on relationships with the education sector, which are the global projects against hatred and extremism. The Institute of Policy Studies promotes the establishment of Christianity in governments, including schools.
The department has concluded its investigation into the book ban and removed the status of Book-Ban coordinator last month in a move released by Craig Trainor, the deputy civil rights secretary who played a role in the Think Tank.
This article was revised on March 20, 2025. Previous versions mistakenly stated that Massie had introduced another grammar on Friday. He introduced it in January.
