President Trump signs executive order to dismantle Education Department

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to start dismantling the Education Department.

"It sounds strange, doesn’t it? Department of Education. We’re going to eliminate it," Trump said in the East Room of the White House at a ceremony where he was flanked by children seated at school desks. Before he signed the order, Trump turned to the children and asked, “Should I do this?”

Introducing McMahon, Trump said that “hopefully she will be our last secretary of education.” He vowed “to find something else for you, Linda.”

Congressional approval would be needed to fully abolish the department, according to NBC. Trump said he hoped Democrats would vote in favor.

“I hope they’re going to be voting for it," Trump said of congressional Democrats, "because ultimately it may come before them.”

Immediately after the signing, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., the chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said on X that he will “submit legislation” to accomplish Trump’s goal of shutting down the Education Department “as soon as possible.”

Congress established the Education Department in 1979 during President Jimmy Carter’s administration, and any effort to abolish it would face major obstacles from Democrats in the Republican-controlled Senate, where 60 votes are required to overcome filibusters and advance measures to final votes.