The Blubber

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at dismantling the U.S. Education Department, fulfilling a key campaign promise to eliminate an agency long targeted by conservatives.

Trump has criticized the department as wasteful and dominated by liberal ideology. However, fully dissolving it would likely require congressional approval, as the agency was established by Congress in 1979. Republican lawmakers have indicated they will introduce legislation to make that happen.

Despite the move, the department will not shut down entirely. The White House clarified that it will retain essential functions, with Trump stating that his administration will scale it back to its “core necessities.” Key responsibilities, including Title I funding for low-income schools, Pell grants, and support for children with disabilities, will remain intact. The federal student loan system will also continue under the department’s oversight.

Trump blamed the agency for America’s struggles in education, arguing that states would be more effective in managing schools.

“It’s doing us no good,” he said during a White House event.

Trump’s Push to Reshape the Education Department

The administration has already begun a major overhaul of the agency. The department’s workforce is being reduced by half, with significant budget cuts to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which tracks national academic performance.

While Trump’s executive order signals a dramatic shift in federal education policy, whether the department can be fully dismantled will depend on the outcome of the expected legislative battle in Congress.