Trump hawks Teslas, slashes more federal jobs
The Education Department cut its workforce in half ahead of an expected Trump order to shutter the agency


What happened
President Donald Trump Tuesday held an elaborate Tesla showcase on the White House lawn to support CEO Elon Musk, who he said was being "treated very unfairly" for "being a patriot" and working to slash the size of the federal government as the head of DOGE Services.
Hours later, the Education Department laid off 1,315 employees, effectively cutting its workforce in half ahead of an expected Trump executive order to shutter the department. NOAA also began laying off another 10% of its workforce, or 1,029 weather and storm forecasters, marine scientists and other workers, The Associated Press said.
Who said what
With Tuesday's Education Department cuts, Trump is "effectively gutting the agency that manages federal loans for college, tracks student achievement and enforces civil rights laws in schools," The New York Times said. Eliminating it entirely would take an act of Congress, and Trump is "unlikely" to "find enough support to do so," particularly as recent polls have "consistently shown roughly two-thirds of Americans oppose closing the department."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Senior Education Department officials said the layoffs, and closure of offices around the country, "wouldn't affect department functions," The Wall Street Journal said. But "critics said it was impossible to reduce staff so dramatically without affecting the services that states, school districts and students have come to rely on," The Washington Post said.
What next?
Agencies across the government "need to submit plans for large-scale layoffs" by Thursday, as stipulated in Trump's Feb. 11 executive order and a subsequent directive from the Office of Personnel Management, USA Today said. DOGE and other part of the administration have already laid off more than 100,000 probationary workers, gutted USAID and scheduled at least 76,000 cuts at the Veterans Affairs Department.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
How are attorneys dealing with Trump's attacks on law firms?
Today's Big Question Trump has sanctioned the law firm that investigated his dealings with Stormy Daniels, among others
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'Culture can rarely compensate when a company can't adapt'
Instant Opinion 'Opinion, comment and editorials of the day'
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Texas vs. Delaware: See you in court
Feature Delaware risks losing its corporate dominance as companies like Tesla and Meta consider reincorporating in Texas
By The Week US Published
-
How are attorneys dealing with Trump's attacks on law firms?
Today's Big Question Trump has sanctioned the law firm that investigated his dealings with Stormy Daniels, among others
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Trump pauses $175M for Penn over trans athlete
Speed Read The president is withholding federal funds from the University of Pennsylvania because it once allowed a transgender swimmer to compete
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Did Vladmir Putin just play Donald Trump?
Today's Big Question The Russian president rejected a full ceasefire after long conversation with his US counterpart
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Musk: Is Trump putting him on a leash?
Feature Elon Musk’s aggressive government cuts are facing backlash from Trump’s Cabinet
By The Week US Published
-
SCOTUS: A glimmer of independence?
Feature The Supreme Court rejects Trump’s request to freeze nearly $2 billion in foreign aid payments
By The Week US Published
-
Tesla Takedown protest movement grows as Trump threatens criminal charges
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Nationwide demonstrations at Elon Musk's car dealerships have earned the attention — and ire — of the White House
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'This recommendation is reasonable and in line with the evolution of medical consensus'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Trump purports to 'void' Biden pardons
Speed Read Joe Biden's pardons of Jan. 6 committee members are not valid because they were done by autopen, says Trump
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published