Trump Week Nine: Education Department Disbandment, Transgender Military Ban Blocked, and More Federal Cuts
As the Trump administration accelerates its government downsizing, legal battles emerge over civil rights, military policies, and international trade tensions.
The ninth week of Trump’s second term has brought unprecedented changes as the president continues his initiative to downsize the federal government. On Thursday afternoon, he issued an executive order to begin the process of disbanding the Department of Education, setting a new precedent as the department is a Cabinet-level agency that would require an act of Congress to eliminate. Additionally, the Pentagon has announced plans to cut up to 60,000 civilian employees.
A federal judge ruled that disbanding the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) violates the Constitution and has ordered Elon Musk—head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—to restore employee access to the agency by Tuesday. That same day, another federal judge blocked Trump’s executive order banning transgender people from serving in the military. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has since begun the process of appealing the ruling.
As part of the administration’s ongoing rollback of policies promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), controversy arose after the Pentagon removed webpages featuring Black veterans, as well as Latino, women, LGBTQ+, and Indigenous figures. Other pages related to Holocaust remembrance, sexual assault awareness, and 9/11 were also taken down. Additionally, civil rights-era protections were reversed when the administration issued a memo allowing government contractors to operate segregated restaurants, waiting rooms, and drinking fountains. Meanwhile, Trump has also ended Secret Service protection for former President Joe Biden’s children.
In foreign affairs, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a temporary ceasefire after separate phone calls with Trump. However, despite the truce, fighting continues in some areas.
On trade, after imposing retaliatory tariffs on the United States, the European Union has delayed their implementation until mid-April. This follows earlier tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum imports from countries such as Canada and Mexico, as previously reported by The Introspective.
Disbanding the Department of Education
President Trump signed an executive order Thursday to begin the process of disbanding the Department of Education—a Cabinet-level agency created by Congress in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter.
“Closing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them,” the executive order stated. It also directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the states and local communities.”
Shutting down the department would require an act of Congress, a hurdle the president has acknowledged as he seeks to return education regulations to the states. However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the department will still manage programs such as student loans and Pell Grants, which provide financial aid to students in need.
“When it comes to student loans and Pell Grants, those will still be run out of the Department of Education, but we don’t need to be spending more than $3 trillion over the course of a few decades on a department that’s clearly failing in its initial intention to educate our students,” Leavitt said.
“Any critical functions of the department will remain, but again, we’re greatly reducing the scale and size of this department.”
The president’s decision has drawn strong reactions. Critics argue that eliminating the department will exacerbate educational inequality and leave children further behind.
“This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump,” said Derrick Johnson, President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), to the Associated Press.
However, some lawmakers support the move, arguing that the department has failed in its mission.
“I agree with President Trump that the Department of Education has failed its mission,” Sen. Bill Cassidy told Fox News.
“Since the department can only be shut down with congressional approval, I will support the president’s goals by submitting legislation to accomplish this as soon as possible.”
The House of Representatives previously considered disbanding the agency in 2023, but the proposal faced opposition from both Democrats and Republicans.
Legal Challenges
As President Trump’s initiative to downsize the federal government continues, a federal judge ruled Tuesday that the disbandment of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was unconstitutional. The agency—taken over by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—“usurped the authority of the public's elected representatives in Congress to make decisions on whether, when, and how to eliminate a federal government agency, and of officers of the United States duly appointed under the Constitution to exercise the authority entrusted to them,” the judge wrote.
“Where Congress has prescribed the existence of USAID in statute pursuant to its legislative powers under Article I, the president’s Article II power to take care that the laws are faithfully executed does not provide authority for the unilateral, drastic actions taken to dismantle the agency,” Judge Theodore Chuang wrote in his ruling.
That same day, another federal judge blocked a previous executive order banning transgender people from serving in the military, citing sex discrimination. The ruling comes as lawsuits continue to challenge the military ban.
“The cruel irony is that thousands of transgender service members have sacrificed — some risking their lives — to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the military ban seeks to deny them,” Judge Ana C. Reyes wrote.
“The court's opinion is long, but its premise is simple. In the self-evident truth that ‘all people are created equal,’ all means all. Nothing more. And certainly nothing less.”
Many reacted to the decision, including Jennifer Levi, senior director of transgender and queer rights for GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders), a legal defense organization advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, calling the ruling “decisive.”
“The court’s unambiguous factual findings lay bare how this ban specifically targets and undermines our courageous service members who have committed themselves to defending our nation,” Levi said in a press release.
“Given the court’s clear-eyed assessment, we are confident this ruling will stand strong on appeal.”
Since the ruling, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has begun the appeals process, posting to X that the Trump administration will “win.”
“We are appealing this decision, and we will win,” Hegseth wrote.
Federal Reductions Continue
As the downsizing of the federal government continues, the Pentagon announced plans to reduce its workforce by up to 60,000 employees through voluntary departures, with the possibility of forced reductions.
“The number sounds high, but I would focus on the percentage—a 5% to 8% reduction is not a drastic one,” a defense official told ABC News, adding that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “is confident this can be done without negatively impacting readiness to ensure that our resources are allocated in the right direction.”
The Department of Defense is currently reducing its civilian workforce by 5% to 8% of its 878,000 employees. Those who resign voluntarily will continue to receive pay through Sept. 30.
Meanwhile, President Trump ended Secret Service protection for former President Joe Biden’s adult children, Hunter and Ashley Biden, announcing on Truth Social that they would be “taken off the list.”
“Hunter Biden has had Secret Service protection for an extended period of time, all paid for by the United States taxpayer. There are as many as 18 people on this detail, which is ridiculous! He is currently vacationing in, of all places, South Africa, where the human rights of people have been strenuously questioned,” Trump wrote.
“Please be advised that, effective immediately, Hunter Biden will no longer receive Secret Service protection. Likewise, Ashley Biden, who has 13 agents, will be taken off the list.”
A Secret Service official acknowledged Trump’s announcement in a statement to NBC News.
“The Secret Service will comply and is actively working with the protective details and the White House to ensure compliance as soon as possible,” the official said.
Secret Service protection is typically provided for former presidents throughout their lives and for their children for six months after their terms end.
Rollbacks on Civil Rights and DEI Initiatives
As the administration’s backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies continues, controversy erupted after the Pentagon removed webpages highlighting Black veterans, including baseball player Jackie Robinson—the first Black player in Major League Baseball—along with pages related to Holocaust remembrance, LGBTQ+ rights, and prominent Latino, women, and Indigenous figures. Other pages, such as those recognizing sexual assault awareness, 9/11, and Asian American contributions, were also taken down.
Following public outcry, the webpages were later restored. Pentagon Press Secretary John Ullyot acknowledged the achievements of the historical figures but stated that the government does not recognize them based on “immutable characteristics.”
“Everyone at the Defense Department loves Jackie Robinson, as well as the Navajo Code Talkers, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Marines at Iwo Jima, and so many others — we salute them for their strong and, in many cases, heroic service to our country, full stop,” Ullyot told CBS News.
“We do not view or highlight them through the prism of immutable characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, or sex. We do so only by recognizing their patriotism and dedication to the warfighting mission like every other American who has worn the uniform.”
Organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which was founded in 1913 to combat antisemitism, criticized the Pentagon’s move. ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt expressed concern over the removal of Holocaust-related content.
“We are concerned by reports that the Department of Defense has removed Holocaust-related content, including survivor stories, under the label of ‘DEI,’” Greenblatt said in an interview with CNN.
“The history of the Holocaust, including the liberation of the camps, also reflects the bravery and sacrifice of Allied soldiers — a legacy that should be preserved, not erased. We urge the DoD to reverse this decision and preserve these vital historical records.”
One of the deleted webpages featured Holocaust survivor Kitty Saks.
Meanwhile, within the federal government, civil rights-era protections were rolled back after a February memo confirmed that federal contractors are no longer prohibited from maintaining segregated restaurants, waiting rooms, and drinking fountains. The change follows an executive order that repealed legislation signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965.
Although segregation remains illegal under both federal and state laws, organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the memo.
“As our nation unfortunately becomes more divided and polarized, the last thing we need is any effort that could be perceived as allowing racial segregation,” CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said in a press release.
“We must not turn back the clock to a time in our nation’s history when racism and white supremacy were written into laws and contracts.”
In a report by NPR, Melissa Murray, a law professor at New York University, called the rollback “incredibly meaningful.”
“These provisions that required federal contractors to adhere to and comply with federal civil rights laws and to maintain integrated rather than segregated workplaces were all part of the federal government's efforts to facilitate the settlement that led to integration in the 1950s and 1960s,” Murray said.
“The fact that they are now excluding those provisions from the requirements for federal contractors, I think, speaks volumes.”
Ukraine Update & Tariffs
As the conflict in Ukraine continues, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy engaged in a phone call with President Trump to establish a temporary ceasefire.
In a Truth Social post, Trump described the conversation as “very good” and “productive.”
“We agreed to an immediate ceasefire on all energy and infrastructure, with an understanding that we will work quickly to achieve a complete ceasefire and, ultimately, an end to this very horrible war between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump wrote.
“That process is now in full force and effect, and we will, hopefully, for the sake of humanity, get the job done!”
Peace talks between Ukrainian and U.S. officials will take place in Saudi Arabia on Monday, with separate U.S.-Russia negotiations occurring the same day.
Despite the negotiations with Trump, fighting continues between the two countries. The Ukrainian city of Odesa was attacked by Russian drones Thursday, and Ukraine’s Kirovohrad region was also struck by drones.
“Russian strikes on Ukraine do not stop, despite their propaganda claims. Every day and every night, nearly a hundred or more drones are launched, along with ongoing missile attacks. With each such launch, the Russians expose to the world their true attitude towards peace,” Zelenskyy posted on X.
Ukraine conducted a drone strike on a Russian airbase Thursday, which houses nuclear-capable bombs.
On the same day, as tariffs—taxes on imports—were imposed on countries such as Canada, Mexico, and China by the U.S. The European Union (EU) has delayed retaliatory tariffs on American products, now set to take effect in mid-April. This follows a previous report from The Introspective that highlighted the U.S. placing tariffs on products like steel and aluminum, disrupting the stock market.
“The Commission has decided to align the timing of the two sets of EU countermeasures against U.S. 232 tariffs on EU steel and aluminum,” an EU spokesperson told CNBC.
“Delaying the tariffs provides additional time for discussions with the U.S. administration.”
The retaliatory tariffs, originally set to be imposed in phases, will now be imposed all at once when mid-April arrives.