President Donald Trump is again moving to dismantle America's education system.

Confusion swirled as the White House insisted the Education Department would continue overseeing federal student loans, even as Trump’s own orders suggested otherwise, citing a lack of staffing to manage the department’s $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio.

Trump is seeking to shift these responsibilities elsewhere.

At the signing, Trump blamed the Education Department for America’s academic shortcomings, saying states could do a better job. "It’s doing us no good," he said.

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Linda McMahon pledged a smooth transition, even as the agency faces deep cuts — slashing its workforce by half and gutting key civil rights and research divisions.

The order states that the education secretary will, to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department and return authority over education to states and local communities.

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