The War on American Intellect

Trump’s Educational Arsonism and the Threat to American Democracy

Illustration by the Author

In a move that sent shockwaves through the educational establishment, President Donald Trump recently ordered Education Secretary Linda McMahon — the former wrestling executive turned cabinet member — to effectively dismantle the Department of Education. While Trump has stated that student loans and special education funding will continue, this executive order effectively dismantles a $100 billion-per-year executive department that has stood for nearly half a century since its creation under President Jimmy Carter.

But this is merely the visible tip of a much more dangerous iceberg.

The Systematic Dismantling of America’s Knowledge Infrastructure

What we’re witnessing isn’t merely a bureaucratic reorganization or budget-cutting exercise. It’s part of a broader pattern that includes slashing funding for the National Institutes of Health — the backbone of American biomedical research — and gutting the National Science Foundation, which has been instrumental in advancing engineering and computer science research that keeps America globally competitive. The effective closure of USAID undermines research into global diseases at a time when pandemic preparedness should be…