Trump to Sign Executive Order to Shut Down U.S. Department of Education, White House Confirms

Washington, D.C., March 20, 2025, 10:13 AM PDT – The White House announced Thursday that President Donald Trump will sign an executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, fulfilling a long-standing promise to conservatives and marking a significant shift in federal education policy. The move, detailed in a statement on X by @WhiteHouse at 9:45 AM PDT, comes amid ongoing debates about federal overreach and state control, as reported by NBC News and The Washington Post.

Details of the Executive Order

Trump’s order, expected to be signed later today, directs the Department of Education to begin winding down its operations, though it acknowledges that only Congress can formally abolish the agency, per a draft obtained by The Washington Post in February 2025. The White House statement on X describes the action as “returning education to the states,” aligning with Trump’s campaign pledge to eliminate the department, established in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter.

The order, part of Trump’s broader agenda to shrink the federal workforce, targets the department’s 4,000 employees, with plans to reassign or lay off staff, per Politico. It also aims to redirect federal education funds—approximately $79 billion annually, including Title I and IDEA programs—to state and local governments, as outlined in a February 2025 Forbes analysis. Posts on X, like @Trump2025News’s, hailed it as “a historic rollback of bureaucracy,” while @EducationUSA criticized it as “a disaster for vulnerable students.”

Background and Policy Context

Trump has repeatedly vowed to abolish the Department of Education, citing it as a source of “indoctrination” with “inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material,” as stated in a September 2023 X video, per NBC News. During his first term (2017–2021), he proposed budget cuts but faced congressional opposition, as detailed in a 2018 Education Week report. The department, overseeing public school funding, student loans, and programs for low-income students, serves over 50 million students, per ed.gov.

The move aligns with Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation blueprint for a second Trump term, which called for dismantling the department, as noted in a July 2024 The New York Times article. Critics, including the National Education Association (NEA), warn it could defund key programs like Title I (for low-income schools) and IDEA (for students with disabilities), per NEA.org’s March 2025 statement on X.

Legal and Political Challenges

While Trump can issue executive orders, only Congress can eliminate the department, per the U.S. Constitution, as confirmed by legal experts on X like @ConLawExpert. The White House anticipates legal challenges and resistance from Democrats, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on X calling it “a reckless attack on education,” per CNN. Republicans, however, support the move, with House Speaker Mike Johnson on X praising it as “restoring local control,” per Fox News.

Web results, such as www.bbc.com (March 20, 2025), note Trump’s draft order acknowledges congressional authority, suggesting executive action will focus on administrative dissolution and fund reallocation. The NEA’s Becky Pringle warned on X of “devastating impacts” on students, especially in vulnerable communities, per The Guardian.

Reactions and Implications

The announcement has sparked polarized reactions on X, with @ConservativeVoice cheering “freedom from federal overreach,” while @TeachersUnited fears “chaos for schools.” Education Secretary Linda McMahon, appointed in 2025, defended the order on X, arguing it aligns with “parental rights and state autonomy,” per The Hill. However, states like California and New York, reliant on federal funds, may resist, per a March 2025 Education Week forecast.

The order could also affect higher education, with $12 billion in student loans managed by the department, per Inside Higher Ed. Posts on X, such as @CollegeAccessNow’s, raised concerns about loan servicing disruptions, while @TrumpEconomy touted cost savings.

Looking Ahead

As of 10:13 AM PDT, the order’s signing is imminent, but its implementation faces legal and legislative hurdles. Trump’s administration, leveraging Executive Order 14101 (January 2025) to streamline federal cuts, aims to finalize the shutdown by 2026, per Politico. However, opposition from educators, unions, and Democrats could delay or derail the plan, per a March 2025 Carnegie Endowment analysis on U.S. education policy.