After receiving major backlash, President Donald Trump is now less likely to dismantle the Department of Education.
ABC News reported that an executive order had been drafted requiring Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take any measures as permitted by law “to close the department, according to sources familiar with the matter.”
“My vision is aligned with the President’s: to send education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children,” McMahon said in a memo, according to the outlet.
Officials allegedly scheduled the executive order for signing on Thursday, March 6, 2025. However, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, President Donald Trump will not sign the order.
“This is a tremendous victory for those of us who are standing up and holding the line and pushing back against the endless chaos that we are seeing from the Trump administration,” an education leader said, according to ABC News.
The decision not to sign is likely due to the pushback the order received, which left President Donald Trump “shaken.” Various parents and school districts nationwide were preparing for litigation if the order was signed and later enacted.
“This constant state of chaos that he has American families in is unacceptable and we are going to continue to fight him every step of the way,” the education leader commented, per ABC News.
The pushback is no surprise, as the executive order would have had tremendous ramifications. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the closure of the Department of Education would impact $1.6 trillion in federal student loan programs and K-12 school grants. Additionally, the department manages the special education law and data around enrollment, staffing, and crime in schools.
Even if an order is signed, Congressional approval would be needed.
“We’d like to do this right,” McMahon stated during her confirmation hearing in February, ABC News reported. “That certainly does require congressional action.”