Trump reportedly planning to abolish Department of Education with executive order
The Department of Education could be axed (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
The Trump administration has allegedly begun drafting an executive order to start the elimination of the Department of Education, according to sources briefed on the plans.
On the campaign trail, Trump pledged to shut down the department – which was established in 1979 under president Jimmy Carter – and return control over education to individual states.
In one social media video, he said: “American society pours more than $1 trillion a year into public education systems, but instead of being at the top of the list, we are literally right smack — guess what — at the bottom.”
Trump also said he would cut federal funding to any school “pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content” and even made the bizarre, and completely false claims, that education is now ‘mostly transgender’ and that teachers perform gender affirming surgeries on pupils during the school day.
The gutting order is said to be structured in two parts as the president cannot unilaterally close down a federal department without the approval of congress.
Firstly, the order is expected to direct the education secretary to create a plan to dismantle the department and then, secondly, congress will be pushed to pass legislation completely eliminating it.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday (4 February), Trump said he wants WWE co-founder Linda McMahon, his nominee for education secretary, to eventually “put herself out of a job”.
“I told Linda — ‘Linda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job,’” the president said. “I want her to put herself out of a job [in the] Education Department.”
The executive order will be the latest in a raft of orders fulfilling campaign promises on issues such as immigration, government efficiency and climate change.
Since his return to the White House, Trump has also signed a litany of anti-trans policies, including declaring the official policy of the United States is that there are “only two sexes”, banning trans people from serving in the military and restricting gender-affirming healthcare for trans people under the age 19.
Alongside these attacks on the trans community, Trump has also signed orders eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes across the government and in the armed forces.
Several federal websites responded by seemingly removing information on LGBTQ+ rights and HIV, and staff in diversity, equity and inclusion roles have been placed on leave with immediate effect.
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