President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to sign an executive order aimed at eliminating the Department of Education, two sources familiar with the plans told NBC News. The move would deliver on a long-standing conservative push to return education oversight to the states.
Reports on Monday hinted that the President would be issuing orders to dismantle the agency from within, but an effort at outright abolishment was not expected until today.
While Trump cannot unilaterally abolish a federal agency without Congress, the executive order is expected to limit the department’s role severely. Republicans see this as a crucial first step in dismantling what they call bloated federal bureaucracy.
The planned order follows years of campaign promises from Trump to shut down the Education Department. “One other thing I’ll be doing very early in the administration is closing up the Department of Education in Washington D.C., and sending all education and education work and needs back to the states,” Trump declared in a 2023 campaign video.
Conservatives argue that Washington’s influence over local schools has only led to worse outcomes. “In total, American society pours more than $1 trillion a year into public education systems, but instead of being at