President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to scale down the Department of Education, a move expected to spur lawsuits challenging the directive and that will likely require Congressional approval.
Trump has frequently discussed plans to eliminate the Department of Education dating back to the campaign trail and said in September 2024 he wanted to cut down on the federal government’s influence over education to "stop the abuse of your taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s youth."
"Everybody knows it's right, and we have to get our children educated," Trump said Thursday. "We're not doing well with the world of education in this country, and we haven't for a long time."
A White House fact sheet on the executive order said the directive aims to "turn over education to families instead of bureaucracies" and instructs Education Secretary 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."
