Education Secretary Linda McMahon says mass layoffs are ‘first step’ toward eliminating agency: ‘We’re not taking away education’
SUMMARY
Education Secretary Linda McMahon didn’t mince words Tuesday night on Fox News with Laura Ingraham, calling the mass layoffs of nearly half the Department of Education’s 4,000 workers “the first step” toward shutting it down entirely. “That’s the president’s mandate,” she said, nodding to Trump’s goal of dismantling the agency. The former WWE bigwig said they’re working with Congress to make it happen, starting with cutting “bureaucratic bloat.” That day, 1,315 staffers got the axe—on top of 600 who took buyouts and 63 rookies fired last month. McMahon insisted the chops won’t touch “excellent” programs, keeping the “good people” to ensure grants and funding flow smoothly. She swatted down teachers’ union boss Randi Weingarten’s claim that Trump’s killing education, saying it’s about getting cash to states, not kids’ opportunities. “Scores will go up with less bureaucracy and more parental input,” she argued. The department’s shedding “redundant” roles to streamline, McMahon explained.
