NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson expressed his belief that President Trump is “deliberately dismantling the basic functions” of American democracy.
Johnson took to the social media site X to criticize Trump’s intentions to close the Department of Education.
- Advertisement -
Johnson posted, “@POTUS is not only seeking to shut down the Department of Education — he is deliberately dismantling the basic functions of our democracy, one piece at a time.” He continues, “That decision will only hurt children across America who depend on federal funding for a quality education.”
After being announced weeks ago, Trump’s unilateral order to dissolve the Education Department was postponed with little justification. In the White House’s East Room on March 20, 2024, the president is anticipated to sign the directive.
This comes just after Education Secretary Linda McMahon instructed staff to be ready for their “final mission” and the department let go of almost half of its personnel.
Johnson pointed out in his essay that while Trump cannot completely dissolve a department and his proposal would not be feasible without Congressional action, he may drastically reduce its staff or weaken it.
“Let’s be clear: only Congress can establish or abolish an executive agency. This new executive order is unconstitutional, but to Donald Trump, the rule of law doesn’t seem to matter,” he stated.
The leading member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), also opposed the decision to close the department.
According to Scott, Trump’s plan would endanger schoolchildren nationwide in addition to having several legal repercussions.
Scott claimed that eliminating the division would “exacerbate existing disparities, reduce accountability, and put low-income students, students of color, students with disabilities, rural students, and English as a Second Language (ESL) students at risk.”
