Linda McMahon confirms massive personnel cuts are 'first step' in eliminating Education Dept entirely

Education Secretary Linda McMahon confirmed Tuesday that recent mass layoffs within the Department of Education are the “first step” toward dismantling the agency, aligning with President Donald Trump’s promise to abolish the department.

During an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, McMahon was asked if the decision to lay off nearly half of the department’s workforce was part of a broader plan for a “total shutdown” of the agency.

“Yes…actually, it is,” she responded.

“That was the president’s mandate,” McMahon added. “His directive to me clearly is to shut down the Department of Education.”

While Trump has long argued that the department is inefficient and has failed to improve education nationwide, McMahon emphasized that the administration is aware it must “work with Congress” to formally eliminate it.

“What we did today was to take the first step of eliminating what I think is bureaucratic bloat,” McMahon said, clarifying that the department will keep “good people” in place and cuts will not interrupt funding for educational programs.

“We wanted to make sure that we kept all of the right people, the good people, to make sure that the outward-facing programs, the grants, the appropriations that come from Congress, all of that are being met and none of that’s going to fall through the cracks,” McMahon explained.

The Trump administration has drawn sharp criticism for its efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, particularly from American Federation of Teachers leader Randi Weingarten, who accused the administration of “getting rid of education” and “taking opportunities away from kids.”

“Well, clearly we’re not taking away education,” McMahon said in response. "The president never said that. He’s taking the bureaucracy out of education so that more money flows to the states.”

“Better education is closest to the kids … I think we’ll see our scores go up with our students when we can educate them with parental input as well,” she claimed.

A senior official said the department laid off 1,315 of its nearly 4,000 employees who were“redundant or not necessary for the functioning of the department,” according to the New York Post. The number adds to the nearly 600 staffers who left the agency after accepting buyouts by the administration.

“We have to identify where the bloat is, where the bureaucracy is, and we’re going to start there, because the programs, so many of the programs are really excellent,” McMahon said.