United States President Donald Trump defended his new executive order that essentially dismantles the country's Department of Education.
The Republican's latest move was made on Mar. 20, 2025, in the White House's East Room, where he was surrounded by GOP governors, Republican members of Congress, and conservative organizations.
Dismantling of the Department of Education
On top of the right-wing officials, the president was joined by teachers, families, and kids, some of whom were seen behind him seated at school desks. During the signing of the executive order, Trump framed it as the first step in eliminating the department in its entirety.
Before signing the order, Trump said, "My administration will take all lawful steps to shut down the department." He added that they would work to do so completely and as quickly as possible.
In a post on X, Sen. Bill Cassidy committed to introducing legislation that would shut down the Department of Education "as soon as possible." Supporters of the move believe that it would return more power to state and local governments, according to Politico.
This comes after a post-COVID pandemic political campaign where Trump emphasized strong parental and local control of schools. However, the current administration's series of spending cuts also carries with it a political risk.
GOP messaging guru Frank Luntz said that as long as there is investment at the state and local levels, Republicans will benefit. However, he argued that if local and state funding efforts stay the same, GOP officials will be accused of slashing funding for education.
Donald Trump's Latest Efforts
Trump's latest executive order and efforts to dismantle the Department of Education come as he said that it is wasteful and has been polluted by liberal ideology. However, many believe that completely dismantling the department could be impossible without an act of Congress, the Associated Press reported.
Despite the order, the government has not detailed its plans on how it would exactly move to carry out its objective and the White House said the agency will still retain certain critical functions.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon also chimed in on Trump's efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, saying that it "certainly has some hurdles." However, she emphasized that her goal is to work with the administration as "a partner."
McMahon said she will work in conjunction with Congress, adding that the best plan is to have states in control of education for their communities, students, teachers, and parents, as per CNN.
