Majority of Americans support President Trump’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education, with 51% approving of the executive order aimed at returning educational control to states and families.
Quick Takes
- A Rasmussen Reports poll shows 51% of likely U.S. voters support shutting down the Department of Education, including 37% who strongly approve
- Support falls sharply along party lines with 78% of Republicans approving the dismantling while 73% of Democrats disapprove
- President Trump appointed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to lead the department’s closure, already reducing its workforce by 50%
- The department has spent over $3 trillion since its 1979 founding with questionable results, according to the White House
- Senate Republicans have introduced legislation to formally abolish the department, though passing it faces significant legislative hurdles
Poll Reveals Partisan Divide on Department’s Fate
The debate over the Department of Education’s future has crystallized into a clear partisan divide as President Trump moves forward with his campaign promise to dismantle the federal agency. According to a recent Rasmussen Reports survey, 51% of likely U.S. voters approve of the president’s executive order to begin shutting down the department, with 37% expressing strong approval. The poll reveals a stark contrast in attitudes between party affiliations, with 78% of Republicans supporting the measure while 73% of Democrats stand firmly against it. Independent voters remain evenly split, with 48% supporting and 48% opposing the department’s closure.
The same survey found Americans equally divided on the department’s overall impact since its establishment in 1979, with 41% believing it has improved American schools and an identical 41% convinced it has made them worse. Party affiliation strongly influences these perceptions, with 62% of Democrats seeing positive impacts from the department while 57% of Republicans believe it has been detrimental to education.
Trump Administration Takes Initial Steps
The Trump administration has already begun implementing its plan to dismantle the Department of Education, with Education Secretary Linda McMahon confirming that the department’s workforce has been reduced by half. “Actually, it is, because that was the president’s mandate,” McMahon told Fox News’s Laura Ingraham. “His directive to me, clearly, is to shut down the Department of Education, which we know we’ll have to work with Congress, you know, to get that accomplished.”
While the executive order sets the dismantling process in motion, completely eliminating the department requires congressional action. Senate Republicans have introduced legislation to abolish the agency, but passing such a bill faces significant hurdles due to the 60-vote filibuster threshold in the Senate. In the meantime, the administration is focusing on reducing the department’s footprint and transferring some of its functions to other agencies, including possibly moving the Office for Civil Rights to the Department of Justice.
Competing Visions for American Education
The White House has justified the department’s elimination by pointing to its questionable track record despite massive spending. According to administration officials, the Department of Education has spent over $3 trillion since its creation with little improvement in educational outcomes, citing poor standardized test scores and declining student achievement. President Trump has been unequivocal about his intentions, stating, “We’re going to eliminate it, and everybody knows it’s right, and the Democrats know it’s right.”
Opponents of the dismantling plan warn that eliminating the department would jeopardize critical programs that support vulnerable students. These include Title I funding for low-income schools, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) services, and Pell Grants for college students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Critics also express concern about weakening civil rights protections against discrimination based on race, gender, and disability in educational settings.
The department currently handles essential functions such as processing Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms, distributing federal financial aid, and providing oversight of educational quality. Supporters of maintaining the department argue that reducing staff could hinder its ability to fulfill these statutory obligations and disrupt services that millions of students and families depend on.
With the debate continuing along partisan lines, the ultimate fate of the Department of Education will likely be determined by the legislative process in Congress and the administration’s ability to implement its vision for returning educational authority to states, communities, and parents.
