Trump blasts Department of Education as ‘con job,’ says he wants it closed 'immediately'

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President Trump calls the Department of Education a ‘con job’

President Trump called the Department of Education a ‘con job’ after learning the country ranks 40th in education but first in cost per pupil.

President Donald Trump called the Department of Education a "con job," saying he saw a report that the nation ranks 40th in the world in education but is No. 1 in cost per pupil.

Trump spoke with reporters Wednesday afternoon from the Oval Office and was asked how soon he wanted the Department of Education (DOE) closed.

"Oh, I’d like it to be closed immediately. Look at the Department of Education. It’s a big con job," he answered. "They ranked the top countries in the world. We’re ranked No. 40, but we’re ranked No. 1 in one department: cost per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked No. 40."

Trump said the last time he looked at where the U.S. ranked in education, it was 38th, but then he looked two days ago, and the country had fallen to No. 40.

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President Trump said he would like the Department of Education to close immediately. (Donald Trump 2024 campaign)

He even noted that China had ranked in the top five.

"As big as it is, it’s ranked in the top five, and that’s our … primary competitor," Trump said. "So, if we’re ranked No. 40, that means something’s really wrong."

The president has ordered the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the department led by Elon Musk, to find ways to slash wasteful spending, and the DOE made the chopping block this week.

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The U.S. Department of Education building Aug. 21, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)

DOGE announced Monday that $881 million related to 89 DOE contracts was being cut.

Of that $881 million, DOGE identified $101 million that was being used for DEI training, including teaching educators to "help students understand/interrogate the complex histories involved in oppression, and help students recognize areas of privilege and power on an individual and collective basis."

"Your tax dollars were spent on this," Musk wrote of the DOE spending.

Last month, Trump signed two executive orders on education, one to remove federal funding from K-12 schools that teach critical race theory (CRT), and another to support school choice.

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Critical race theory (CRT) has emerged as a polarizing topic in recent years.  (Robert Gauthier)

The teaching of CRT and other controversial content in schools has sparked backlash from parents at school board meetings across the nation over the past several years. During his presidential campaign, Trump pledged to cut federal funding for schools that promote CRT, transgender ideology and "any other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content on our children."

Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders targeting federal funding for schools as test scores continue to drop, according to the Nation's Report Card.

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Trump administration officials are also reportedly weighing a plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, according to a Wall Street Journal report published last week.

Fox News Digital’s Kristine Parks contributed to this report.