The Grinch Who Stole Education

How Trump and Musk Plan to Save the Rich by Starving the Poor

The U.S. Department of Education is on the Musk/Trump chopping block as they attempt to slash trillions from the federal budget—largely to fund a tax cut aimed primarily at the wealthy. To those who mistakenly believe the department dictates what happens in the nation’s schools, this might seem justified. They are wrong.

Although Trump and his allies claim their attack on the DOE will give state and local governments more control over education, the truth is they already have that control. In fact, the U.S. is one of the few developed countries without a national curriculum or standardized teacher qualifications. While the DOE does enforce anti-discrimination laws, that function has nothing to do with instruction.

So, what does the department actually do? Beyond handling student loans for college students, it provides crucial funding to poorer schools serving low-income children. While federal contributions make up no more than 15% of a school’s budget, that funding helps struggling schools hire more staff, improve materials, and upgrade facilities. The DOE also helps districts cover the costs of services for special needs students. (Notably, the top five recipients of these funds are so-called “Red” states that voted for Trump.)

The bulk of the DOE’s budget goes toward federal college loan and aid programs, which primarily benefit lower-income and middle-class students and families. Since these programs are mandated by Congress, they can’t be cut—leaving funding for schools and special needs services as the primary targets for budget reductions. This is where Trump and Elon Musk, head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), will look to make their cuts.

The poor and vulnerable will also suffer if Medicaid is slashed as Trump, Musk, and their allies in Congress envision. Millions of Trump supporters would lose their health coverage, which is why Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri has come out against the idea. Hawley estimated that 200,000 of his state’s Trump voters would be affected and concluded that cutting Medicaid is bad politics.

But the attacks on the needy don’t stop there. Trump’s allies in Congress are also pushing to cut food stamps and the program that helps lower the cost of school lunches for children in need. These programs benefit millions of kids—including those whose parents serve in the military. Although the Department of Defense doesn’t publicize this fact, some active-duty military families rely on both school lunch assistance and food stamps because their pay is so low. Many of those affected, once again, are households that voted for Trump.

Children in need are further in the crosshairs, as funding for foster care programs and child protective services is also at risk.

Foster care. Protection from abuse and neglect. Food. Education. Health care. Real children—millions of them—will be harmed if the world’s richest man and a multi-billionaire former president get their way. Meanwhile, they’re pushing for a $4.5 trillion tax cut.

What gives? It’s simple: these men are callous, cruel, and completely out of touch with the realities faced by the quarter of the country struggling to get by. And the wealthy elites who stand to benefit the most? They’re Trump and Musk’s friends.