Do voters support Trump’s plan to scrap the Education Department? What a poll found

President Donald Trump — in keeping with his campaign promise — may soon attempt to dismantle the Department of Education.

The White House is reportedly drawing up an executive order that would seek to eliminate the department, which facilitates funding for federal student aid and K-12 programs, among a multitude of other responsibilities, NBC News reported on Feb. 4.

This order, however, would undoubtedly face legal challenges given Congress, not the president, holds the power to disband a federal agency, McClatchy News previously reported.

And, legality aside, the move would be largely unpopular with voters, new polling shows.

Poll on abolishing the Education Department

Sixty-one percent of likely voters are somewhat or strongly opposed to an executive order seeking to abolish the Department of Education, according to a new poll from Data for Progress, a left-leaning think tank and polling firm.

Meanwhile, a much smaller share, 34%, said they would somewhat or strongly support such an order.

The poll, conducted between Jan. 31 and Feb. 2, sampled 1,294 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Opposition to the plan was widespread across generational, gender, racial and educational lines.

Sixty-two percent of respondents under 45 were against abolishing the department, while 59% of those 45 and older also disagreed with the plan.

Similarly, 69% of respondents with a college education were opposed to the order, while a smaller majority of those without a college education, 56%, were also opposed.

However, there was one demographic with a majority support for the prospective order: self-identified Republicans. Fifty-nine percent of GOP respondents said they somewhat or strongly were in favor of scrapping the Department of Education.

By comparison, majorities of Democrats (91%) and independents/third-party respondents (58%) said they were opposed.

This story was originally published February 6, 2025 at 10:51 AM with the headline "Do voters support Trump’s plan to scrap the Education Department? What a poll found."