(DCNF)—President Donald Trump on Wednesday didn’t fall for NBC News White House reporter Kelly O’Donnell’s attempt to guilt trip him for firing nearly half of the federal employees at the Department of Education(ED.
ED eliminated 1,315 of its 4,133 employees on Tuesday as part of the Trump administration’s effort to cut wasteful and fraudulent spending conducted by the federal government. O’Donnell, during Trump’s Oval Office meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, suggested that Trump should take responsibility for stripping several “civil servants” of their jobs, prompting the president to remind her that they are keeping the best employees who conduct their jobs efficiently.
“Would you describe for us, is this meeting your vision by cutting about half the workforce and what responsibility do you feel for the civil servants who have now lost their jobs? Many of them worked at the Department of Education during your first term,” O’Donnell said.
“I do, I feel very badly, but many of them don’t work at all. Many of them never showed up to work, unfortunately, and that’s not good,” Trump said. “And when we cut, you know, we go and that’s what I had a number of meetings with a number of people over the past couple of months, when we cut, we want to cut, but we want to cut the people who aren’t working or not doing a good job. We’re keeping the best people and [Education Secretary] Linda McMahon is a real professional, a very sophisticated businessperson and she cut a large number, but she kept the best people and we’ll see how it all works out.”
The president stated that the education system in the U.S. is falling behind on a national scale and thus should be handled by the states.
“We have a dream, and you know what the dream is? We’re gonna move the Department of Education, we’re gonna move education into the states. So that the states, instead of the bureaucrats working in Washington, so that the states can run education,” Trump said. “And, you have Norway, you have Denmark, you have Sweden, you have various countries that do very well. You also have China which does very well in education, and that’s a very big tribute to China, I must say … So we can’t blame size, anymore. Normally you would blame size, [the U.S.] is too big, how can you [fix education].”
“But China does it, so we think when you move it back to Iowa and Indiana and all the states that run so well … those will be as good as Denmark, those will be as good as Norway, as good as any,” the president continued.
A senior ED official told the Daily Caller News foundation that the cut will allow the department to begin the process of allowing more education oversight at the state level.
Federal, state and local governments spend roughly $857.2 billion on K-12 public education annually, while the federal government spent a record $190 billion in aid to schools since the COVID-19 pandemic without seeing a major uptick in students’ academic performances. The Nation’s Report Card found in January that one-third of eighth graders failed to reach the the National Assessment of Educational Progress’s (NAEP) reading assessment benchmark in 2024, the largest percentage ever recorded, while 40% of fourth grade students tested below the NAEP’s reading proficiency.
Since the pandemic, students fell behind in math by over half-a-year and also struggled in reading and science, an analysis by The New York Times found in March. School closure rates and results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that students in remote learning settings were worse off on their test scores than those who were granted in-person learning.
Trump previously expressed plans to shut down ED entirely and return the issue of education back to the states, leading enraged Democrat members of Congress attempting to enter the Ed building on Feb. 7.
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Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
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Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
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In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
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Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.
