WASHINGTON – According to a draft reviewed by USA TODAY, President Donald Trump’s preliminary executive order seeks to eliminate the United States Department of Education to “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.”
The order would direct Linda McMahon, the newly appointed education secretary, to dismantle the agency she oversees. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said in a statement on X that Trump will not sign an order on Thursday, as some media outlets have reported, but she did not rule out future action.
A White House official told USA TODAY that Trump is still considering his next steps toward a potential executive action, as well as the future of the Education Department.
“No, no, no,” Trump told reporters Thursday when asked if he was reconsidering dismantling the department. “I want to bring schools back to the states.”
Because only Congress has the authority to abolish federal agencies, the decree would create a new test for the limits of presidential power. It also has the potential to spark a new wave of concern about the billions of dollars in congressionally appropriated funds that flow through the Education Department to schools and students.
A copy of a draft order instructs McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.”
It was unclear whether this draft of the executive order, which had been in the works for weeks, was the version Trump is now considering.
Trump also announced on Thursday that he is considering moving the office in charge of the federal government’s nearly $2 trillion student loan portfolio to another agency.
He stated that he had discussions with other administration officials about incorporating the Federal Student Aid office into the Small Business Administration. He also suggested moving it to the Departments of Treasury or Commerce.
Trump campaigned to abolish the Department of Education, which Republicans have long accused of wielding too much power over local and state education policy, despite the fact that the federal government has no say over school curricula. Last month, Trump told reporters that he hopes McMahon eventually finds herself “out of a job.”
The potential decree, which was reported by The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Public Radio, comes after McMahon, who was confirmed by the United States Senate on Monday, laid out the agency’s “final mission”. That vision, she stated in a message to employees, is to “end the overreach from Washington.”
“This restoration will profoundly impact staff, budgets, and agency operations here at the Department,” she wrote in a piece. “In coming months, we will partner with Congress and other federal agencies to determine the best path forward to fulfill the expectations of the President and the American people.”
On Monday, McMahon did not explicitly call for the Education Department’s abolition. She has walked a fine line in her public statements about the agency since Trump appointed her to manage it. Her boss has repeatedly indicated that he intends to close the department. A few weeks ago, he stated that he wanted it “closed immediately.”
However, during her Senate confirmation hearing last month, McMahon stated that the agency “clearly could not be shut down without” congressional approval.
She also stated that the Trump administration’s efforts to downsize would not affect key funding streams such as Pell Grants, federal student loans, or Title I financial assistance for low-income schools.
However, the president’s broader rapid-fire agenda has already disrupted major parts of the American educational system.
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has terminated millions of dollars in education research contracts, effectively decimating the Education Department’s data-collection branch. Universities are in a holding pattern due to a court battle over proposed cuts to funding on which they rely heavily. Grant funding for researchers has also been frozen, jeopardizing graduate admissions and posing a significant threat to college budgets.
Meanwhile, the Education Department has faced layoffs, buyouts, and administrative turnover, which has caused internal frustration and is already impeding its operations. Another “very significant” workforce reduction is on the way, the agency’s human resources chief warned employees late last week, before urging them to accept a $25,000 offer to quit or resign in the coming days.
Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, questioned McMahon at her confirmation hearing three weeks ago about the potential consequences of gutting the agency in charge of overseeing important federal school programs.
“How do we maintain the administration and oversight of these programs if we abolish or substantially reorganize the Department of Education?” she was wondering.
McMahon promised that the money coming from Congress would not be disrupted. Democrats were not convinced.
