Trump administration to take steps to defund Education Department

US President Donald Trump's administration will take steps to defund the federal Education Department, a White House official said on Monday, adding an announcement on the planned actions may come later in February.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that Trump advisers were considering executive actions to dismantle the Education Department as part of a campaign by billionaire Elon Musk and his allies to reduce the size of the government's workforce.

US officials have discussed an executive order that would shut down all functions of the Education Department that are not written explicitly into statute or move certain functions to other departments, the Journal had said, adding the order would call for developing a legislative proposal to abolish the department.

The Education Department had no immediate comment. The Journal report added an announcement may come as early as Tuesday.

Republicans were critical of the Education Department under former President Joe Biden, particularly over student loan forgiveness and policies related to diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Trump has already issued executive orders to dismantle DEI programs across the federal government. ABC News reported on Monday that dozens of Department of Education employees received letters as business hours closed on Friday placing them on administrative leave.

Musk has been heading Trump's drive to cut what the administration calls wasteful spending within the federal government.

Last week, Musk's team at the Department of Government Efficiency gained access to the most sensitive payment systems at Treasury and, as Reuters reported, locked some federal career employees out of their agency's own computers.

A senior White House official said on Monday that Musk was also helping Trump look at a revamp of US foreign aid agency USAID.