What promise did Donald Trump make on the campaign trail?

On the campaign trail President-elect Donald Trump made multiple promises for his first day in office, ranging from a roll back on President Biden’s administration policies, the removal of multiple federal employees, the firing of Jack Smith, the special counsel who has been prosecuting the two federal cases the former president was involved in and the most consequential to education, plans to abolish the U.S. Department of Education (USDE).

This promise has left many in education wondering, is USDE going to be shut down?

While it can happen, ending the agency will require approval from Congress. As it stands a majority has not been called yet for the U.S. House of Representatives. If it goes to the Republican party, Trump would have the support needed from his party to make it happen. However, there is not a clear indicator on if the House would agree with the policy.

Some Republican officials, such as Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, have already begun preparing for the second Trump presidency. Shortly after the Nov. 5 results were called, Walters issued a memorandum last Thursday, preparing Oklahoma schools for the shut down.

In the memo, Walters addressed five areas that he said would restore authority to the states, post-elimination. Those areas include parent’s rights, ending social indoctrination in the classroom, protecting patriotism in curriculum, stopping illegal immigration’s impact on schools and blocking foreign influence in schools.

While Walters’ policies address the K-12 system, the elimination of USDE would also have an effect on public Higher Education institutions, such as the University of Central Oklahoma.

One effect of USDE going away is that of federal loans and Pell Grants. The department has a nearly $1.7 trillion student loan portfolio.

Aside from promising the elimination of USDE on the campaign trail, another plan laid out by the President-elect’s campaign was a plan to enact tariffs on goods received from other countries, particularly China.

“If you enact a tariff on another country, that country is just going to charge you more for that product,” said UCO professor of political science Jan Hardt, PhD.

Hardt noted that typically that charge will just be passed down to the consumer.

Those in favor of Trump’s tariffs policy argue that it would increase domestic production and combat China’s influence.

Aside from seeking to eliminate China’s influence, Trump also campaigned on taking the U.S. out of most international agreements that the Biden administration was involved in.

Hardt points to the Paris Accords and NATO as an example of two things Trump may pull the U.S. out of.