MADISON, Wis. — At a Saturday campaign event in Wisconsin, Donald Trump found a way to make his extreme Project 2025 proposal to eliminate the Department of Education even worse, put conspiracy theory monger and extreme right-wing U.S. Senator Ron Johnson in charge of our kids’ education.
As reported, during a rambling multi-hour address in Mosinee, Trump took a break from airing his personal grievances and vowing revenge to touch on education policy:
“Trump pledged to, as president, eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and send such policymaking back to the state level. “We’ll send it back to the states so that Ron Johnson can run it,” he said, referring to Wisconsin’s Republican U.S. senator.”
A Better Wisconsin Together Deputy Director Mike Browne commented, incredulously, “Donald Trump has managed to make one of his dangerous and extreme Project 2025 proposals even worse. Not only does he want to eliminate the Department of Education, he touted putting wild conspiracy theorist and noted education opponent Ron Johnson in charge.”
Browne pointed to just a few of Johnson’s head-scratching public statements as reason enough to keep him far away from our children’s education including:
- Most recently declaring his view, based on no facts, that the Great Depression was planned, saying, “The Great Depression was pretty well planned … I know it really sounds like conspiracy theory. I don’t completely understand it, but I just feel it in my bones …” [Heartland Signal, 9/6/24]
- Johnson famously suggested replacing teachers with videotapes, theorizing you can learn all you need to about history by watching documentaries. The idea was panned at the time by none other than decorated documentarian Ken Burns. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/23/16]
- On matters of science such as global climate change, Johnson has identified sunspots as the cause and derided the actual science on the issue as “lunacy.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/16/10]
Trump also teased a role in education policy for local Congressional Representative Tom Tiffany saying, “OK, we’ll send it back here. Mr. Tiffany, we’ll get our congressman (U.S. Rep. Tom) Tiffany involved.” As a member of the Wisconsin state legislature Tiffany voted for the largest cuts to education in state history. [Wisconsin State Assembly roll call, 6/16/11]
The 900 page Project 2025 agenda compiled by former Trump staffers and other extreme right-wing allies has a myriad of other bad ideas, on top of allowing Ron Johnson more influence on education like banning abortion, raising taxes for middle class families while helping the wealthy few avoid paying what they owe, taking away protections for workers, making it harder for senior citizens to retire and afford health care, and helping Big Pharma raise prescription drug prices.
