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Home – Blog – Trump’s USAID Closure: A Test Case for Dismantling the Department of Education
We cannot afford to let the Department of Education be another casualty of the Trump administration’s reckless agenda.
President Donald Trump’s administration has repeatedly demonstrated a deep-seated hostility toward federal agencies that serve vital public functions. The recent attempt to shutter of USAID (United States Agency for International Development) serves as a troubling precedent for a larger, more consequential goal: closing the Department of Education (ED). This is not just a budgetary maneuver or an ideological stance; it is a deliberate strategy to erode federal oversight and support for critical social services, leaving millions of Americans vulnerable.
USAID has long played a crucial role in global development, providing humanitarian aid, fostering democracy, and addressing crises such as global pandemics and food insecurity. However, Trump’s administration strategy to defund and undermine the agency before ultimately closing it is a cautionary tale. This strategy of choking resources, delegitimizing its function, and then minimizing its functions and redistributing them to the Department of State mirrors the approach Project 2025 proposes for dismantling the Department of Education.
Project 2025 outlines a plan to dismantle the Department of Education and reassign its functions to other federal agencies. Specifically, it proposes transferring programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to the Department of Health and Human Services. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) would be moved to the Census Bureau. Enforcement of civil rights in educational institutions would shift to the Department of Justice, which would handle these matters through litigation rather than proactive investigations. This reorganization reflects a broader strategy to reduce federal involvement in education and delegate more authority to states and local entities.
The argument for closing USAID rested on the premise that foreign aid is wasteful and that other organizations, such as the State Department or even private entities, could fulfill its functions. However, the reality is that USAID provided a level of expertise, coordination, and strategic focus that cannot simply be absorbed by the Department of State. The same is true for the Department of Education.
Like USAID, the Department of Education is a critical institution, overseeing programs that impact millions of students and ensuring civil rights protections in schools. Dismantling it would be catastrophic, particularly for the most vulnerable students in America. Here’s what’s at stake:
Despite the rhetoric from Project 2025 and conservative think tanks, the American public overwhelmingly supports federal involvement in education. A 2024 poll found that 68% of all voters, and 58% of Republicans, believe that we should invest more in education to improve public schools. Dismantling ED is not just a policy mistake, it is a deeply unpopular move that would harm families across the country.
The attempt by the Trump Administration to close USAID is a warning shot. This administration is committed to dismantling federal agencies, methodically stripping them of resources, questioning their legitimacy, and ultimately erasing them from existence. If the Department of Education follows the same path, the consequences will be devastating for America’s students and the future of the country.
The fight to save ED is not just about education, it’s about protecting the fundamental rights and opportunities that the federal government has historically guaranteed. If the Trump administration’s handling of USAID is any indication, the battle for the Department of Education is already underway. We have the evidence that this administration is willing to light fire to the constitution, the rule of law, and congress, and their role in legislating. We cannot afford to let the Department of Education be another casualty of this reckless agenda.
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