‘Morale is completely lost,’ say workers as Trump administration strips some programs and transfers others

On Tuesday afternoon Linda McMahon, the education secretary, held an all-staff meeting and announced plans to press ahead with dismantling the department.

Key operations are set to be handed off to a string of other agencies, including the departments of interior, health and human services, labor and state. While the move is technically temporary, the administration intends to seek approval from Congress to make the changes permanent.

“Not one person applauded,” said one employee who attended the meeting. “Morale is completely lost,” they added. “Staff are furious about the way we are being treated.”

The administration has moved fast to dismantle the agency, which had more than 4,000 employees when Trump took office in January, and now has about 2,700. Trump signed an executive order in March calling for its shutdown, and the supreme court upheld mass firings in July.