Education advocates implored voters to take Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s latest comments on public schools on Friday seriously after his appearance on the Fox News morning show “Fox & Friends,” where he explained how he would punish schools that teach students accurate U.S. history, including about slavery and racism in the country.

Trump was asked by a viewer who called into the show how he would help students who don’t want to attend their local public schools, and said he plans to “let the states run the schools” to allow for more “school choice.”

“We’re gonna take the Department of Education, we’re gonna close it,” said the former president, explaining that each state would govern educational policy without federal input — a promise of the right-wing policy agenda, Project 2025, that was co-authored by hundreds of former Trump administration staffers.

“Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade said the plan was concerning only because it could allow a “liberal city” or state to decide that schools would teach that the country was “built off the backs of slaves on stolen land, and that curriculum comes in.”

“Then we don’t send them money,” replied Trump.

Trump announces he will defund public schools if they don’t obey........

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