Education Secretary Linda McMahon laid off roughly half the Education Department's staff — about 1,300-1,400 employees in March 2025 as part of the Trump administration's plan to dismantle the agency. Murphy's pointed challenge references confirmed actions; McMahon's "that's hindsight" response is a deflection that avoids addressing whether the layoffs were necessary or lawful. The post omits that courts later blocked some layoffs as illegal and the department spent $28+ million paying suspended employees during the legal fights.