Education Dept.'s Dismantling 'From Within' Is About to Begin

WWE founder Linda McMahon has yet to be confirmed as the new head of the Department of Education, but it's not yet clear what will be left of the department for her to lead. Sources say that President Trump is set to sign an executive order this month that will detail a two-pronged strategy for eventually getting rid of the federal agency, "using its existing administrative authority," per Politico.

• This dismantling "from within" already seems to have started: The Washington Post notes that "scores" of staffers have been placed on leave and others have been pressured to quit. The Trump administration's so-called "Department of Government Efficiency," or DOGE, headed up by Elon Musk, is also reportedly trying to access Education Department records to see what, and/or who, can be cut.

• Because Congress created the department, only Congress can actually shut the department down, so a Trump-directed complete shutdown doesn't seem to be in the cards. "I would not hold my breath that [closing the department] would ultimately become law," GOP Rep. Tim Walberg, who heads the House's education committee, tells the Post. "So in the meantime, my efforts would be to find any means by which we may de-power the Department of Education."
• Some sources tell the paper they believe the agency will try to move some of its functions to other federal departments (ie, the student loan initiative would move over to the Treasury)—though such shifts would also likely need the green light from Congress. "He can't do this on his own," Michael Petrilli, president of the conservative think tank Thomas B. Fordham Institute, tells the Post. "He can't actually dismantle the Department of Education. But boy, everything feels up in the air right now. ... It's been a disorienting couple of days, so who knows?"
• Getting rid of the department was a Trump campaign promise, in an effort to pass more control of education to the states, and has long been on conservatives' wish lists—including in the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, per the Wall Street Journal. Still, Politico notes that Trump's executive order could make things more challenging for McMahon ahead of her confirmation hearing, as she'll have even more pointed questions directed toward her on her thoughts about the Education Department's existence. The Journal says the move could also be "politically risky," as a recent poll found 61% of Americans didn't want to dump the department.

(More Department of Education stories.)