President Trump’s shock attempt to cripple the Department of Education has triggered a furious backlash and alarming parallels with North Korean authoritarian methods, exacerbating public ire towards his relentless executive actions. In the wake of a blistering social media tempest on Thursday, Trump proceeded with the controversial order to strip down the Department of Education.
Social media was ablaze with reactions as one user exclaimed dramatically: “Kids brought into the White House to provide a ringing chorus as Trump abolishes the US Department of Education,” and pointed out, “The frenetic race to turn the United States into North Korea is advancing with every day that goes by.”
Another user was quick to condemn: “Donald Trump is using kids as a prop as he proudly signs an unconstitutional executive order abolishing the Department of Education. Our kids deserve better.”
While Congress ultimately holds the real power to dissolve the federal department outright, Trump’s executive move signals potential legislative dissolution, with a critical Senate vote as the forthcoming step.
Amidst this unfolding drama, the East Room of the White House was transformed to mimic a classroom setting, complete with children seated at desks for the signing event, reports The Mirror US.
In chilling scenes, a host of children appeared to have been drafted in to aid in a political photo op (Image: AP)
In a bold move, President Trump has directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to drastically downsize the Department of Education, with reports suggesting it could even be shut down entirely. Children were involved in the process, signing their own ‘executive orders’ and receiving pens as part of the event.
The president’s mandate to the former wrestling executive is clear: she must take “all necessary steps to facilitate the closure … and return education authority to the states.”
This dramatic order comes on the heels of some department staff being forced out of their offices just a week prior.
While the department will see a significant reduction in size, it will still oversee federal student loans and Pell grants, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Thursday. She assured that critical functions such as civil rights enforcement would continue, though details on their execution remain unclear.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon sits before President Donald Trump arrives to speak (Image: AP)
“The great responsibility of educating our nation’s students will return to the states,” Leavitt declared to the media.
However, public school supporters are sounding the alarm, warning that dismantling the department could harm children within an already unequal American educational landscape.
“This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson lamented.
Democrats are gearing up to fight the order in both the courts and Congress, urging Republicans to join their resistance.
Children sit at desks on stage before President Donald Trump arrives to speak (Image: AP)
Trump’s directive is “dangerous and illegal” and will hit low-income students, students of colour, and those with disabilities hardest, says Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
The department was “was founded in part to guarantee the enforcement of students’ civil rights,” Scott remarked. He also noted that “Champions of public school segregation objected, and campaigned for a return to ‘states’ rights.'”.
Yet, proponents of Trump’s educational policies have hailed the move.
“No more bloated bureaucracy dictating what kids learn or stifling innovation with red tape,” declared Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, on social media. “States, communities, and parents can take the reins – tailoring education to what actually works for their kids.”
The scenes bore a striking resemblance to North Korean propaganda (Image: AP)
