Trump moves closer to closing the Education Department

President Donald J Trump poses with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon after signing an executive order aimed at closing the Education Department during an event in the East Room at the White House on Thursday, March 20, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
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Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
When President Trump nominated Linda McMahon as education secretary, he told her to put herself out of a job. She moved one step closer to that this week when the Trump administration shifted the responsibility of several departments to other federal agencies.
NPR’s Juana Summers speaks with former Obama education secretary John King about what this could mean for public education in America and some of the most vulnerable students.
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This episode was produced by Lauren Hodges, with audio engineering by Simon Laslo-Janssen and Tiffany Vera Castro.
It was edited by Courtney Dorning.
Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.




