This Has Been the Right's Goal for Decades

Donald Trump has issued an executive order eliminating the Department of Education.

In case you are wondering, this is unlawful.  This requires an act of Congress.

That being said, Trump and his Evil Minions™ are doing their level best to destroy the DoE:

Teachers unions and Democratic politicians joined in denouncing Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at eliminating the US Department of Education, with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) saying simply: “See you in court.”

Trump’s move was long trailed, so much so that Randi Weingarten, the head of the AFT – which represents 1.8 million teachers – put out her statement the day before the order was signed. Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, which represents 200,000 members, teachers and other education workers mostly in New York City, said: “We will join our national union and public education allies to protect students and educators. We are working with our partners to file lawsuits to stop this executive overreach.

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Polling shows the majority of people in the US oppose dismantling the Department of Education.

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Eliminating the department has long been a goal of some parts of the Republican right. On Friday, Margaret Spellings, education secretary under George W Bush, who expanded the department’s role, told the Associated Press that Republicans in Congress traditionally voiced support for elimination while voting against it, mindful of how federal funds reach schools in their districts.

“It was always a little bit of a wink and a nod deal,” Spellings said. “Donald Trump has called the bluff.”

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Trump’s order will not eliminate the department entirely. Created by Congress in 1972, it can only be eliminated by the same body.

The law doesn't matter to criminals, so even with the inevitable court injunctions, I expect the dismantling of the DoE to continue apace.

I don't think that Trump will be backing down, since dismantling the DoE will make it far easier for local school districts to discriminate against people of color, and making bigotry great again is a core value of this administration.