Trump to Sign executive order on Thursday seeking closure of the Department of Education

President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Thursday aiming to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, fulfilling a key campaign pledge, according to senior administration officials.

The order has been in development for weeks and will be signed during a White House ceremony attended by several Republican governors and state education commissioners. According to a White House summary of the order first reviewed by USA TODAY, Trump will direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take “all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States. ” The order also emphasizes ensuring the “uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”

The move is expected to face legal challenges, particularly following a federal district judge in Maryland blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development earlier this week.

White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields told reporters that the order “will empower parents, states, and communities to take control and improve outcomes for all students.” Citing recent National Assessment of Educational Progress exam results, Fields emphasized the urgency of the move, stating that the scores “reveal a national crisis—our children are falling behind.”

Established as a Cabinet-level agency by Congress in 1979, the Department of Education will not be immediately dismantled upon Trump’s order. Its complete elimination would require congressional action. While the administration has already reduced the department’s workforce, it has promised to oversee critical federal school funding programs such as special education, Pell Grants, and more.