Trump rages at Democrats trying to stop him from dismantling Education Department: "They're all lunatics"
Washington DC - President Donald Trump slammed a group of House Democrats who are leading an effort to stop him from dismantling the US Department of Education.
Trump held a private dinner for GOP Senate leaders at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Friday, during which he gave a speech admonishing a group of House Democrats who attempted to gain entrance into the department's office building earlier that day.
Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump vowed to work with Elon Musk, who is head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to cut things they deem government "waste," such as the Department of Education.
The promise has been met with heavy criticism from Democrats, and over a dozen House members – including Representatives Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, and Mark Takano and Maxine Waters of California – visited the office to speak with senior officials within the department, but were met with locked doors and security.
In his speech, Trump claimed Democrats were trying to stop Musk's team of "super geniuses."
"The Democrats have lost their minds, and they've lost their confidence. They look foolish," Trump told the audience, according to The Daily Beast. "Today, they tried to break into the Department of Education just because we want to go in and check the books.
"Maxine Waters is a lunatic," he added. "They're all lunatics, frankly."
Elon Musk trolls House Democrats
In a video shared on X, Rep. Takano can be heard demanding answers on whether acting education secretary Denise Carter will comply with Trump's "illegal executive order" to shut down the department.
He also admonished the Trump and his administration for attempting to "shut Congress out of the process."
In another clip shared by Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost described the DOGE team as "goons," and argued that "Elon is allowed in but not you, not your elected representatives, not parents, not students."
Musk responded by trolling Maxwell, commenting, "What is this 'Department of Education' you keep talking about? I just checked and it doesn't exist."
Cover photo: JIM WATSON / AFP