Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, was in the White House audience and was recognized by Trump in his remarks. She said the department allowed teacher unions to exert undue influence over schools, a problem that became more apparent while schools were closed and students were learning over Zoom.

Getting rid of the Education Department was always one of Trump’s main goals. He talked about it often during his campaign, earning cheers from supporters, including the conservative group Moms for Liberty.

US President Donald Trump, in remarks at the White House, said: “People have wanted to do this for many, many years... And I don’t know, no president ever got around to doing it.” He held the executive order up for photos while standing next to Education Secretary Linda McMahon.