Musk: Trump 'will succeed' in dismantling Education Department

Elon Musk, the tech billionaire whom President Trump has tapped as the head of his new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), boasted on his social platform X on Monday night that Trump "will succeed" in the GOP goal of dismantling the Department of Education.

“Reagan campaigned on ending the federal Dept of Education, which was created by Carter in 1979, but it was bigger when Reagan left office than when he started!” Musk said in response to a report from The Washington Post that Trump is eyeing an executive order to dismantle the agency.

“Not this time. President @realDonaldTrump will succeed,” he added.

Completely shutting down the Department of Education would require legislative action, but it is likely Trump could take some actions to hamper the agency’s power in the meantime.

Employees of DOGE are reportedly probing data from the department while it puts dozens of employees on administrative leave, citing Trump’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) executive order and guidance from the Office of Personnel Management, which has told agencies to rid themselves of individuals associated with DEI.

The union for the employees is alleging the leaves are based on individuals who went to a DEI training that was hosted during Trump’s first term and encouraged by his then-secretary of the department.

Monday reports from The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post say Trump is eyeing an executive order to weaken the department, but that more action is likely not to come until after Linda McMahon, Trump’s pick for Education secretary, has her confirmation hearing, which has not been scheduled yet.

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