Despite promises of fiscal responsibility, most Republican presidents have nevertheless proven incapable of curbing the federal bureaucracy's size and scope.

However, a series of recent decisions by President Donald Trump suggest that he is attempting to burn it down. 

Executive order targets seven agencies for elimination

According to The Hill, the latest example came this past Friday when Trump signed an executive order aimed at eliminating seven federal agencies.

Among them are the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which is the parent company of the Voice of America (VOA), as well as the Smithsonian Institution's Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Also targeted are the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and the Minority Business Development Agency.

The order requires that the agencies in question "be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law" and "reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel."

Trump cut Department of Education staff by half

Trump's move came just days after Fox News reported that he had the Department of Education's total workforce reduced by half.

The network cited a memo circulated by Secretary of Education Linda McMahon which described the layoffs as a "significant step toward restoring the greatness" of American education.

"Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers," McMahon wrote.

What's more, Fox News pointed to a Wall Street Journal report published on March 8 regarding a draft order concerning the Department of Education.

Trump has said he wants McMahon "to put herself out of a job"

The draft order calls on McMahon to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department" based on "the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law."

President Trump is expected to issue an executive order aimed at abolishing the Education Department, according to people briefed on the matter. Here's everything you need to know.

Read more: https://t.co/5pCpt5HJ2o pic.twitter.com/2qFzkzOkKT

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) March 8, 2025

"The experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars — and the unaccountable bureaucrats those programs and dollars support — has failed our children, our teachers, and our families," it states.

Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to return education to the states, at one point telling reporters that he wanted McMahon "to put herself out of a job."