Trump's Plan to Close the Department of Education: A Bold Step or a Dangerous Move?
President Donald Trump could soon initiate efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, according to insiders, as part of his broader strategy to significantly reduce the federal government’s reach.
Sources suggest that the White House has an executive order ready for Education Secretary Linda McMahon to start the department’s dissolution process. Trump’s intent to shut down the department isn’t new; he has consistently voiced this ambition. Though ultimately, Congress will have to play a role, which McMahon acknowledged during her confirmation earlier in the year. Following her confirmation on Monday, CNN reported that the administration is preparing an order to kick off this closure process, with Trump seeking legislative backing from Congress to permanently end the department.
In the proposed directive, McMahon is instructed to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department,” while adhering “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.” The draft order contends, “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.”
While the exact timing of Trump’s signing of this order is uncertain, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on X that it wouldn’t be happening this Thursday. Historically, attempts to either dismantle the Education Department or merge it with another federal entity have struggled to gain favor in Congress.
Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean of Philadelphia condemned the Trump administration for its actions, calling them unsurprising. “They want citizens who are not well-educated,” Dean remarked on CNN, alluding to Trump’s focus on an uninformed electorate. She referenced Project 2025’s education chapter—a plan aligning with Trump’s second-term objectives—which bluntly starts with a call to shutdown the department.
There’s skepticism from some in the Republican camp too. Sen. Susan Collins from Maine, who heads the Appropriations Committee, does not back the department’s disbandment, highlighting crucial programs for children with disabilities and those from impoverished backgrounds. “Synergies occur when housed under one department,” Collins noted, suggesting some programs could be spun off, but leaving those decisions to the new secretary. “The abolishment of the department is in Congress’s hands, only they have the power,” she asserted.
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, overseeing education-related panels, supports increased state control but seeks more clarity on Trump’s plan to overhaul the federal agency. On the campaign trail, Trump has frequently pointed to the department as emblematic of federal overreach, tying it to cultural disputes. “We will drain the government education swamp and stop your taxpayer dollars from indoctrinating youth with unwanted ideas,” Trump vowed.
Trump shared with McMahon, “Linda, I want you to do a great job at essentially making yourself redundant,” referencing her role at the Education Department last month. Should Trump succeed in shutting down the department, some functions and funding might continue under different agencies, moving them back to pre-1979 arrangements. Notably, federal funding programs for K-12 schools assisting low-income students and those with disabilities existed before today’s department structure.
Immediately after her confirmation, McMahon reached out to her team with the message “Our Department’s Final Mission,” inviting collaboration “in this historic final mission on behalf of all students.” She encouraged, “This is our chance to deliver an unforgettable public service.” In the months ahead, the department will work alongside Congress and other federal bodies to determine next steps, as per McMahon’s statement.
McMahon highlighted that scrutinizing the department’s programs is “long overdue,” pointing out the $1 trillion funding since its inception hasn’t corresponded with improved student outcomes. However, she alerted staff to the potential “profound impacts” on roles, budgets, and operations if pursued, framing it as a mission to “eliminate bureaucratic bloat.”
“Millions of young Americans are trapped in inferior educational systems, inundated with radical anti-American narratives, or burdened with college debt for degrees lacking significant returns,” McMahon stated, citing regulatory red tape as a key reason teachers are leaving the profession. Under her leadership, the agency’s guiding principles include empowering parents, focusing education on core subjects like math, reading, science, and history, and ensuring postsecondary education gears students towards lucrative careers.