Tim Walz claims without evidence that segregation will return if Education Department is closed down

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota claimed Thursday that the Trump administration’s decision to shutter the Department of Education (ED) would allow segregation to resume.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to start shutting down the agency she heads, fulfilling a campaign promise, seven days after the ED announced on March 13 that it had reduced its workforce by almost 50% between voluntary buyouts and layoffs. Walz told MSNBC host Rachel Maddow that Trump fulfilled a “longtime dream” of conservatives during a rant that lasted nearly two minutes, during which he invoked his son on the autism spectrum.

“Well, we knew it was coming, but it’s still a day that I dreaded. I dreaded it as a teacher, as a parent, certainly as a governor now, and the sad part for me about this is, is Donald Trump doesn’t know anything about education,” Walz claimed. “This has been a longtime dream of the far right to crush the public education system, to take that money and transfer it to private schools that don’t exist in a lot of areas or rural areas.”

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“And then, and to undermine some of the missions of the Department of Ed, making sure everybody gets an education regardless of race, religion or abilities,” Walz continued. “You know, students like my son, who depend on IDEA and individual education plans to make sure that they’re treated equally and get the best possible education they can. That’s a hallmark of America. I think America’s great contribution to the world is our public education system.”

Trump’s order directed McMahon to ensure that “services, programs, and benefits” American families relied on from the agency were delivered efficiently and without interruption. Walz claimed Trump was acting in defiance of the American people.

“He’s surrounded by people who know nothing about education and they want to make this about bureaucracy and cutting. This is about children. This is about broadband access in their schools,” Walz claimed. “This is about the research you were talking about pedagogy, things that we learn, and then it’s about the civil rights department and the Department of Education that makes sure that we don’t have a situation where a Ruby Bridges is escorted to school with police. And so we’re we’re back in an era where we can segregate.”

Secretary McMahon, a former executive of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), said in a statement released Thursday that programs would not be affected by the order.

“Closing the Department does not mean cutting off funds from those who depend on them—we will continue to support K-12 students, students with special needs, college student borrowers, and others who rely on essential programs,” McMahon said. “We’re going to follow the law and eliminate the bureaucracy responsibly by working through Congress to ensure a lawful and orderly transition.”

According to the Nation’s Report Card’s 2024 data, student test scores remained below pre-pandemic levels nationwide, while math and reading scores saw their biggest drop in 50 years, according to data released in 2023 by the National Center for Education Statistics. As student scores plunged, national teachers’ unions frequently promoted and defended left-wing causes such as critical race theory, gun control, and gender ideology in school curricula despite protests from parents.

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