American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten suggested without evidence Tuesday that President Donald Trump is diverting public education funds to benefit billionaires. The Trump administration is reportedly drafting an executive order to eliminate the Department of Education (DOE) and push Congress to pass legislation dissolving the agency, arguing that education should be managed at the state level.
Weingarten claimed that Trump intends to redirect public school funding toward tax cuts for the wealthy. “Congress appropriates the money directly for these kids. Where’s the money going? Who’s taking it? Are they trying to take that money that kids get for tax cuts for billionaires? What’s going on? That’s why we have to see what they’re doing. It is illegal to take that money out of children’s mouths and give it to billionaires,” Weingarten said.
Federal, state, and local governments allocate approximately $857.2 billion annually to K-12 public education. Despite record spending, including $190 billion in pandemic aid, student test scores in core subjects continue to decline. Trump has long criticized the DOE’s effectiveness, stating in September 2023 that federal education spending has failed to improve public school quality. “In total, American society pours more than $1 trillion a year into public education systems, but instead of being at the top of the list, we are literally right smack — guess what — at the bottom,” Trump said.
Weingarten played a central role in advocating for school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, she warned that reopening schools under Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would result in “millions” of child deaths. Her union worked closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to draft school reopening guidelines but later criticized the agency for declaring in-person learning safe. Studies show that remote learning had devastating effects on students, particularly in math, reading, and science. A New York Times analysis found that elementary students who participated in remote learning fell behind in math by over half a year.
The AFT also faced scrutiny for its financial contributions to left-wing political causes. The union spent $35.7 million in members’ dues on political initiatives in the 2021-2022 fiscal year, including donations to Media Matters for America and Friends for Kathy Hochul, the Democratic New York governor’s campaign. Roughly 17% of its budget was allocated to political and lobbying efforts, with $1 million directed to Put Michigan First, a group that targeted former Republican Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon during the 2022 midterms.
Trump’s push to eliminate the DOE aligns with his broader agenda to return power to state governments and reduce federal bureaucracy in education. The debate over education funding and state control will remain a key issue as Trump continues to reshape education policy.