Education Secretary Linda McMahon was given a necessary math lesson by Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island after she completely mistated how much the proposed cuts for the department over 10 years would actually save.
McMahon's error occured during McMahon’s testimony on the Trump administration's 2026 budget proposal, which outlines significant cuts to the Department of Education (DOE)—including the near-total elimination of programs like TRIO and GEAR UP.
TRIO encompasses a set of federal initiatives designed to support low-income, first-generation college students and students with disabilities in pursuing higher education. In 2024, the DOE allocated $1.191 billion to TRIO programs.
GEAR UP, another federal grant initiative, helps low-income students prepare for postsecondary education. It received $388 million in funding in 2024. Under Trump’s proposed “skinny budget,” nearly all funding for TRIO and GEAR UP would be slashed as part of broader efforts to dismantle the DOE, actions that advocates say will be a detriment to students nationwide.
Appearing before the Senate appropriations subcommittee on education, McMahon nodded in agreement as Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana stated that the U.S. spends $1.58 billion annually on the TRIO and GEAR UP federal grant programs and claimed that, over 10 years, the cost would exceed "a trillion dollars."
With those figures, even over a decade, the total would fall far short of $1 trillion based on simple math—by about $984 billion.
A total of $1.58 billion over 10 years actually amounts to approximately $15.8 billion. But that kind of math appeared to allude both Kennedy and McMahon.
Then Reed stepped in:
"Madam Secretary, I’m not a great mathematician, but I think you were talking about a trillion dollars? I believe $1.5 billion times 10 is $15 billion, that’s a little bit off from a trillion dollars."
McMahon, sounding pretty confident, said:
“I think the budget cuts $1.2 billion for TRIO.”
Reed responded:
“Well, $1.2 billion that would be $12 billion, not a trillion dollars."
A flustered McMahon blinked and could merely utter, "Okay."
You can see their exchange in the video below.
McMahon was criticized after footage of her remarks went viral, and many agreed this was not a great moment for someone tasked with leading the nation's education initiatives.
The publicly available request on the DOE's website says the agency is seeking $66.7 billion in new discretionary budget authority—indeed a $12 billion—or 15.3%—decrease from the previous year.
The report notes that the budget request "advances President Trump’s plan to reach balance and restore confidence in America’s fiscal management by eliminating spending that does not support meaningful learning and returning responsibility for services that are better provided by the States, local governments, or civil society organizations to each respectively."
Some Republicans, including Trump, have called for the agency’s complete elimination. In March, Trump signed an executive order aimed at dismantling the department. Critics have pointed out that fully shutting down the agency would likely require an act of Congress.
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