Billionaire Elon Musk was widely mocked after he celebrated President Donald Trump's executive order to begin to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE) by posting a meme of Trump at the department's grave, only for an awkward misspelling to get all the attention.
Polling indicates that eliminating the Education Department is largely unpopular, with 60% of registered voters opposing the move, according to a Quinnipiac University survey conducted March 6-10. Support stands at 33%, with opposition particularly strong among Democrats—98% oppose it, while just 1% support it.
But Trump is doing just that, having signed an executive order on Thursday directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the DOE—an apparent attempt to bypass Congressional approval, which is required to formally shut down a federal agency.
Speaking at a signing ceremony at the White House, Trump acknowledged that his administration may later seek Congressional approval to eliminate the department entirely, arguing that its budget had more than doubled in recent years without improvements in national test scores.
While the federal government does not dictate school curricula, as state and local governments control 90% of school funding, Trump reiterated his campaign pledge to "send education back to the states."
And Musk celebrated the move by posting a meme showing Trump kneeling and giving a peace sign at the grave of the hilariously misspelled "Education Departmen."
You can see his post below.
@elonmusk/X
A self-own for the ages.
The mockery was swift.
State officials and lawmakers have expressed concerns about their ability to fully take over education policy, and Trump’s latest directive is expected to face further legal challenges.
Labor and civil rights groups also condemned the move. National Education Association President Becky Pringle warned that the decision "will hurt all students" by increasing class sizes, slashing job training programs, making higher education less affordable, reducing special education services, and weakening student civil rights protections.
The DOE's budget primarily consists of federal grants and loan programs, including Title I funding ($18.4 billion) for high-poverty K-12 schools and the IDEA program ($15.5 billion) for students with disabilities.
Despite the executive order, the White House stated these programs—along with the $1.6 trillion federal student loan program—would remain unaffected. However, it remains unclear what spending cuts the administration can implement without touching these major initiatives.
This move follows previous efforts to weaken the department, including significant layoffs—reducing its workforce by nearly half—and the cancellation of multiple grants and contracts.
@SecretaryBurgum/X
@Doug Ellin/X
@evanrachelwood/Instagram