Is Donald Trump dismantling Department of Education? What to know

The Trump administration is discussing an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, according to reports.

Newsweek has contacted the White House and the Department of Education for comment via email.

Why It Matters

On the campaign trial, Trump repeatedly pledged to shut down the Department of Education, which he says has been infiltrated by “radical zealots and Marxists.” He said the agency’s power should be transferred to the states.

Reports about plans to dismantle the department come as Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has been working to reduce the size of the government’s workforce and slash spending.

What To Know

The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the planned executive action, said the executive order being discussed would shut down all functions of the department that are not written explicitly into statute, or move certain functions to other departments.

The newspaper, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that it would also call for developing a legislative proposal to abolish the department.

The expected order acknowledges that eliminating the education department entirely would require an act of Congress, so will instruct the department to come up with a plan to diminish its staff and functions, The Washington Post reported, citing three people briefed on its contents.

A White House official confirmed to the Post that it is preparing for executive action later in February that will fulfill Trump’s campaign promise to defund the education department.

Dozens of employees at the department were put on paid administrative leave on Friday in response to Trump’s executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government, The Associated Press reported.

At least 55 workers lost access to their government email accounts and were told not to report to the office, the AP reported.

Madison Biedermann, an Education Department spokesperson, told the AP that a DOGE team was working at the department on Monday to implement Trump’s executive orders and agenda.

Trump does not have the authority to abolish the Department of Education by executive order since eliminating a federal agency requires congressional action.

Last week, Republican Representative Thomas Massie reintroduced a bill that seeks to abolish the education department. The one-sentence bill, H.R. 899, says: “The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2026.”

What People Are Saying

Musk wrote on X on Monday night: “Reagan campaigned on ending the federal Dept of Education, which was created by Carter in 1979, but it was bigger when Reagan left office than when he started! Not this time. President @realDonaldTrump will succeed.”

Trump said during a rally in September: “I say it all the time, I’m dying to get back to do this. We will ultimately eliminate the federal Department of Education.”

Massie said in a statement after reintroducing the bill to abolish the education department: “Unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. should not be in charge of our children’s intellectual and moral development. States and local communities are best positioned to shape curricula that meet the needs of their students. Schools should be accountable. Parents have the right to choose the most appropriate educational opportunity for their children, including home-school, public school, or private school.”

Representative Judy Chu, a Democrat from California, wrote on X that the Trump administration is “already drawing up plans to use the USAID playbook to shut down @usedgov. The Dept of Education provides grants for low-income students, enforces civil rights laws, and administers our student-loan program.”

What’s Next

It’s not clear exactly when the Trump administration could take executive action regarding the Department of Education.

The Journal reported that advisers are debating the specifics of the order and the timing.