WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump wants one of his Cabinet secretaries and top aides to fire herself.
He told reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday that Linda McMahon, his nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Education, should eventually “put herself out of a job.”
Read more:The White House is mulling the Education Department’s future. Trump has vowed to close it.
The president made the comments after widespread speculation that he is considering issuing an executive order to take steps to dismantle the agency McMahon is set to helm. A White House official confirmed to USA TODAY on Monday that the president is reevaluating the future of the Education Department.
On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly vowed to shutter the federal agency, though doing so is beyond his authority as president. Closing the department would require Congress to pass new legislation, and Washington insiders are still skeptical his efforts will pass legal or political muster.
“Just because they want to do it doesn’t necessarily mean that they could do it,” said Jon Fansmith, the assistant vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education, during a meeting with college officials on Tuesday.
Read more:Trump wants to close the Education Department. It’s far easier said than done.
Asked at the White House Tuesday whether he can abolish the agency by executive order, Trump said, “There are some people that say I could.” He also signaled an openness to working with Congress and teachers unions to accomplish that goal.
McMahon has yet to appear before the U.S. Senate. Scheduling for her confirmation hearings has been stalled due to a delay in her ethics paperwork, according to the Office of Government Ethics.
Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at [email protected]. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.
