Trump is Delivering on an Educational Commitment Promised by Republicans for Decades

For many years, Republican presidential candidates have championed a clear education agenda: to dismantle the Department of Education and implement essential reforms within universities.

However, after taking office, GOP administrations have often retreated from these commitments, resulting in lackluster reforms.

The Trump administration has shattered this pattern. During the campaign, the president laid out an ambitious plan to dismantle the federal education bureaucracy and combat leftist ideological dominance in universities.

Instead of abandoning these principles on Inauguration Day, his administration has pursued them with exceptional resolve, strength, and focus.

Linda McMahon has already established herself as the most impactful education secretary in the department’s history. She has rapidly cut over a billion dollars in funding from leftist NGOs, let go of about half of the Department of Education’s staff, and implemented the president’s executive order aimed at dismantling the department.

While others have hesitated, McMahon has stood firm.

Unprecedented actions

Similarly, regarding higher education, the new administration has taken unprecedented measures, halting billions in funding to Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton due to their violations of the Civil Rights Act and continued support for discriminatory DEI programs. This signifies a major shift.

Conservatives have traditionally been hesitant to enforce civil rights law, which in practice has acted as a leftist mechanism.

In contrast, the Trump administration has made it clear that civil rights laws apply to all Americans — including whites, Asians, and Jews, who have faced discrimination by Ivy League universities.

While the recent conflict’s catalyst is the surge of antisemitism on elite campuses, the Trump administration recognizes that antisemitism is just a façade for anti-white and anti-Western ideologies, heavily funded with taxpayer money.

In framing this battle, Secretary McMahon and her adept team have astutely rejected the notion of “university autonomy,” arguing that universities relinquish absolute autonomy when they accept federal funds and that the department has a vested interest in maintaining fundamental standards of academic and legal integrity.

The significant difference now is that this administration has transitioned from critique to action.

Since the conservative movement’s inception with William F. Buckley’s “God and Man at Yale,” the right has lamented the degradation of the humanities and the subjugation of educational institutions.

However, many prominent figures within the movement have preferred lofty critiques over gritty politics. The distinguishing factor for this administration is its intense focus on actionable reforms.

Political theater

In this regard, President Trump and Secretary McMahon uniquely understand two vital strategies: political theater and leverage.

McMahon, who amassed her wealth leading the World Wrestling Federation, has effectively cultivated a compelling public narrative and accepts that politics entails a degree of “kayfabe” — a term from wrestling that refers to scripted action.

To both Department of Education officials and Ivy League administrators, she embodies a legitimate threat.

Similarly, President Trump, who prides himself on his negotiation skills, recognizes that he possesses all the leverage. The Ivy League universities have constructed their business models on federal grants and tuition from international students, both of which depend on adherence to civil rights laws.

The president initiated negotiations by pausing billions in funding, compelling the universities to scramble for cash and float bonds to meet their immediate financial obligations.

Despite Harvard and Princeton’s posturing, financial leaders at these institutions clearly recognize their position: the president holds all the cards.

From my perspective, the initial 100 days of this administration feel surreal. I have long advocated for many of these policies, but witnessing their implementation is a distinct experience. The administration has illustrated its willingness to expend political capital and fulfill its campaign promises.

Positive trajectory

The pressing question now is: who will flinch first? The administration has established the battleground, but the siege must be conducted meticulously.

To genuinely reshape education, Trump and McMahon must remain steadfast in their negotiations with Ivy League schools, persuade Congress to permanently abolish the Department of Education, and promote an alternative vision for educational institutions.

My hope is that McMahon becomes not merely the most pivotal education secretary in history, but also the final secretary of education we ever have.

Although it’s early in the term, the direction this administration is taking on education offers grounds for optimism. Here’s to their continued success.

Christopher F. Rufo is a senior fellow and director of the initiative on critical race theory at the Manhattan Institute.