“We don’t need no educationWe don’t need no thought control” — Roger Waters/Pink Floyd
The Department of Education has been a conservative target forever, and Donald Trump is now promising to close it on “Day One.”
Personally, I believe him.
The man is on a mission, whether it’s talking about 2024 as being “The Final Battle” (Don’t we have election plans in 2028?), whether he is talking about being his MAGA supporters’ retribution, or promising to send the military into “urban areas where they’re not enforcing the law right,” or planning on monitoring news coverage, Trump is not hiding his plans.
He is promising fascism.
The Department of Education does serve a purpose, obviously, even though most education issues are left to the states. The DOE distributes a lot of grants, sets standards, and ensures there is some sort of fairness in the distribution of federal funds. Nearly every school gets a percentage of federal funding.
The Department of Education manages all of it. But it is seen as an arm of the teachers’ unions and, thus, to conservatives, something to be hated in Washington.
Trump says that it’s gone under him:
TRUMP, at South Carolina rally, giving DAY ONE promises:
"I will immediately close the Federal Department of Education and we will move everything back to the states where they can individualize education and do it with love for our children." pic.twitter.com/BuXyC4CLwQ
— Evan Kilgore 🇺🇸 (@EvanAKilgore) September 25, 2023
Trump wasn’t done. After pledging to shutter the Department, he turned to South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and, according to Raw Story’s report, asked him:
“Wouldn’t it be great if he could control education in his state, and then entered into a lengthy pledge to restrict transgender rights, adding that Democrats ‘mutilize’ children.”
Right. Nothing says “Democrats” quite like “mutilize” children.
The Department of Education’s mission statement lists its duties:
ED was created in 1980 by combining offices from several federal agencies. ED’s 4,400 employees and $68 billion budget are dedicated to:
Establishing policies on federal financial aid for education, and distributing as well as monitoring those funds.
Collecting data on America’s schools and disseminating research.
Focusing national attention on key educational issues.
Prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education.
The Department of Defense budget for 2023 is 2.03 Trillion dollars. The Department of Education is 68 billion dollars. It says a great deal about our priorities right there.
Do not doubt for a second that the last highlighted duty, protecting discrimination and equal access to education, is where the real game is being fought. What would Florida do if it had no restraints, none, from the federal government?
Last night, Trump posted to his Truth Social account:
“I say up front, openly, and proudly, that when I WIN the Presidency of the United States, they and others of the LameStream Media will be thoroughly scrutinized for their knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things, and events.”
“The Fake News Media should pay a big price for what they have done to our once great Country!”
If he wins, no one should be surprised when he turns this country into a fascist state. The same man who wants to do away with the Department of Education, which ensures equal justice under the law, wants to start a new department or new police force to monitor news coverage that he doesn’t like.
He is telling us.
We better listen.
Donald Trump, leave those kids alone.
I can be reached at jasonmiciak@gmail.com and on X @JasonMiciak.
Editor’s note: This is an opinion column that solely reflects the opinions of the author.
