On February 26, 2025, President Trump expressed his desire to close the Department of Education immediately, criticizing it as a costly failure that has not improved student outcomes despite significant spending.
1. High Spending, Low Results: Trump highlighted that the U. S. spends more per student than any other country, yet ranks 40th in educational performance. He pointed out that since 1980, $3. 6 trillion has been spent without meaningful improvement in literacy and math proficiency among students.
2. Democratic Control: Trump accused Democrats of using the Department of Education as a tool to promote their policies under the guise of improving education. He argued the agency misleads the public into thinking it helps students, while it actually facilitates financial patronage schemes.
3. Common Core Example: He described how the Obama administration pushed Common Core standards onto states by burying funding within large legislation, threatening states that did not comply with loss of federal funds. This coercion led to the adoption of controversial educational standards across many states.
4. Historical Context: Trump noted that efforts to reform or close the Department date back to Ronald Reagan’s presidency, when it was viewed as unnecessary. Yet, it remained, and Democrats have continued to use it to enforce liberal policies.
5. Contemporary Issues: He drew parallels between the imposition of Common Core and current educational debates, such as Critical Race Theory and transgender policies, indicating that the Department remains a means for Democrats to enforce unpopular ideologies.
6. Republican Reaction: Unlike past Republicans, Trump is openly threatening to withhold federal funds from states that do not comply with his administration's educational guidance, particularly regarding gender policies in sports.
Trump aims to dismantle the Department of Education, seeing it as a centralization of power that infringes on state rights. He argues that by eliminating it, future administrationswhether Republican or Democratcannot misuse its authority as he believes has happened for the past 45 years. Success in abolishing the Department could restore a limited federal government, aligning with the vision of the Founding Fathers.
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