US President Donald Trump is expected to sign a new set of executive orders on Tuesday, amid reports that he will begin fulfilling his campaign promise to dismantle the federal education department.
While Trump cannot abolish the department without congressional approval—an unlikely scenario—US media reported that he plans to issue orders that will effectively weaken it from within.
The White House confirmed that the president would sign new executive actions but did not specify their content.
The move comes as part of a broader push to reduce the federal government’s role, led by billionaire Elon Musk. On Monday, Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) played a key role in shutting down the USAID humanitarian aid agency and is now reportedly scrutinizing data within the education department, according to The Washington Post.
Musk referenced the report on his social media platform, X, stating that while former President Ronald Reagan had failed in his 1980s pledge to abolish the department, “President @realDonaldTrump will succeed.”
Throughout his 2024 campaign, Trump vowed to eliminate the department and return control over education to individual states. He has argued that the department wields excessive spending power while US students fall behind in global rankings. He has also criticized schools for being too liberal and, just last week, signed executive orders addressing issues such as race, gender, and college campus protests.
As part of his efforts to overhaul the department, Trump has nominated Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), to lead it—a move widely interpreted as a sign of his intent to diminish its influence.
McMahon’s appointment also recalls her family’s ties to Trump. In a highly publicized wrestling stunt, Trump once body-slammed her husband, WWE chairman Vince McMahon, and shaved his head in a live televised event.