Washington Senator Patty Murray has remained one of the most vocal opponents of President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s efforts to allegedly dismantle aspects of the US Department of Education.
In a video posted to the social media platform X, critics responded to Murray’s defense of the department with very different views of the federal agency. Some commenters questioned everything from its effectiveness to whether the federal government should have such a significant role in education at all.
In the video above, Senator Patty Murray goes over the allegation that President Trump has been allowing taxpayer money that is meant to go to schools to expire. She explains that this is happening so that he can claim that the Department of Education doesn’t work, calling it “waste, fraud, and abuse.“
Within the video, you can hear her say, “Trump wants you to think the Department of Education doesn’t work. So, he goes to work and makes sure it doesn’t.” She then claims that in 2025, the Trump administration allowed “tens of millions of dollars [to] expire,” saying that it was expected to be used for schools and directly affecting children.
The former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee has fought the Trump administration’s attempts to transfer various DOE responsibilities to other federal agencies in the past, despite them being assigned by Congress. Some of these responsibilities include the mental health of students, among other things.
Murray’s involvement with education policy extends well beyond fighting for the department’s future. Because of this, commenters in the replies to the video shared their opinions on the matter.
Comments and Reactions to Patty Murray’s Defense of the Department of Education
Commenters responding to Murray were largely critical of the department and questioned whether it was actually improving outcomes for children. One person wrote, “The department of Education is a joke.” Similarly, another user wrote, “Senator Murray: You SHOULD know the Department of Education is not Constitutional. Therefore, taxpayer money should not be used to support it.”
Several of the replies made sweeping or unsupported claims about what schools and the Department of Education are doing, demonstrating how quickly the discussion moved beyond Murray’s argument and into the broader culture war surrounding education.
As the video continues to gather the attention of those who oppose her, the debate is also bringing years of frustration over federal involvement in schools back to the surface.
