President Trump is taking decisive action to streamline the federal government, slash bureaucracy, and ensure that only the most effective employees remain. Following the Department of Education’s announcement of significant cuts, Trump was clear: the move eliminates inefficiency.
“Many of them don’t work at all,” Trump stated, speaking alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in the Oval Office. “Many of them didn’t even show up to work.”
The Department of Education is shedding 1,300 employees, reducing its workforce by nearly half since the Biden administration. Additionally, office leases in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, and New York are being canceled as part of the effort to downsize and return control of education to the states. “We want to cut the people who aren’t working,” Trump emphasized. “We want to keep the best people.”
This effort aligns with Trump’s long-standing goal to shift education oversight away from Washington and back to local leaders. While states already manage public school curricula, the federal government handles college loan programs, Pell grants, and state education funding. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, newly confirmed by the Senate, has embraced this vision, vowing to eliminate wasteful spending and bureaucratic red tape.
Some conservatives, including former Reagan Education Secretary William Bennett, have urged a more measured approach, but Trump remains steadfast in his mission. With similar reductions at the Social Security Administration and Veterans Affairs, his administration is making good on its promise to shrink government and boost efficiency.
