Trump’s Promise to Abolish Department of Education Resurfaces Amidst Scrutiny
President Donald Trump’s promise to eliminate the Department of Education is once again being discussed, as per Fox News. Supporters like Karoline Leavitt, speaking on “Varney & Co.” on February 4, reiterated the expectation that Trump would deliver on this campaign pledge.
“President Trump campaigned on that promise, and I think the American people can expect him to deliver on it,” Leavitt stated.
The Department of Education, established in 1980, is tasked with improving the coordination of federal education programs and supporting state and local school systems. According to its website, the agency received a budget of $79.1 billion in fiscal year 2024.
Trump himself reinforced his desire to dismantle the department at a rally in September 2024, vowing to reduce the “government education swamp and stop the abuse of your taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s youth with all sorts of things that you don’t want to have our youth hearing.”
Critics of the Department of Education point to recent performance metrics as evidence of its failure. The “Nation’s Report Card,” also known as the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), released on January 27th, showed concerning trends. The biennial exam, which tests fourth and eighth-grade students, revealed almost stagnant math scores for eighth-graders compared to 2022, and a decline of 2 points in reading scores at both grade levels.
Leavitt argued that these results demonstrate the need for a “complete reset” that prioritizes students. She asserted that closing the Department of Education is a necessary first step, claiming the agency has focused more on diversity, equity, and inclusion mandates than on the fundamental building blocks of education.
The renewed focus on the Department of Education’s future has sparked concern among Democrats. In February, they pressed the agency for more information about its future operations, fueled by fears that the Trump administration would follow through on the promise to shutter the department.
