Full Detailed English Summary of the White House Press Briefing
November 20, 2025 Based on the official subtitles from the White House video (C-SPAN / White House YouTube)
Press Secretary: Karoline Leavitt Special Guest: Secretary of Education Linda McMahon Location: James S. Brady Press Briefing Room Time: 1:00 PM EST – approx. 47 minutes long
Opening Remarks – Karoline Leavitt (0:00 – 6:30)
- Welcomes everyone and introduces “a very special guest today, Secretary McMahon.”
- Yesterday: First Lady Melania Trump and Second Lady Usha Vance visited Marine Corps Air Station New River and Camp Lejeune, NC – met students, educators, military families, and Marines. “May God bless all of them.”
- September jobs report: +119,000 jobs added (more than double expectations), construction +19,000 (biggest monthly gain in a year). Almost all private-sector and went to American-born workers – “the opposite of the previous administration.”
- Inflation under control, wages up 3.8 % year-over-year. Real wages on track for ~$1,200 gain for the average worker in 2025 vs. ~$3,000 loss under Biden due to 9 % inflation.
- Thanksgiving affordability:
- Gas prices projected to be the lowest since 2021 (thanks to “drill, baby, drill”).
- American Farm Bureau: full Thanksgiving dinner down ~5 %, 16-lb turkey down >16 %.
- Tax policy: no tax on tips, overtime, Social Security; Piper Sandler study says average tax refund next year up ~$1,000 – “could be a record-breaking tax refund season.”
- Major announcement: Trump took “a significant step” toward closing the Department of Education. New inter-agency agreements with Labor, Interior, HHS, and State to transfer legally required programs. Goal: return education to states and localities.
- 43-day Democratic government shutdown (longest in history) proved the point: 90 % of Dept of Ed furloughed, schools stayed open, teachers paid, zero impact → “America does not need a federal Department of Education.”
- Since 1979: >$3 trillion spent, per-pupil spending up 245 %, yet math/reading scores down. 2024 NAEP: 13-year-olds at decades-low in math, lowest reading scores ever recorded.
- Introduces Linda McMahon as the “amazing leader” executing the president’s vision.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon Speech (6:30 – 16:30)
- Speaking directly to American families about the “hard reset” of education – Trump’s top campaign promise.
- This week: six groundbreaking inter-agency agreements to delegate redundant programs → cuts bureaucratic bloat, shifts authority to states, local superintendents, school boards, and parents.
- Critics claim “defunding education” or “no plan” – “could not be further from the truth.”
- Americans gave Trump the popular vote because they see the broken top-down system:
- Only 3 in 10 students read proficiently.
- $1.7 trillion in student debt, <50 % of graduates work in their field.
- Teachers leaving due to burnout and over-regulation.
- Polling: when told only “shutting down Dept of Ed” → 51 % oppose; when told funding preserved and programs moved → 56 % support.
- Dept of Ed is a “pass-through entity” – doesn’t teach a single child. Shutdown proved money can flow directly to states.
- Her 50-state tour (14 states so far): states are already innovating – science of reading (Mississippi Miracle, Louisiana, Florida, Iowa, Tennessee), school choice, etc.
- Final mission: fully empower states for an “educational renaissance.” “We are not ending federal support for education – we are ending federal micromanagement.”
Q&A Session (16:30 – end)
- Elizabeth (Politico) – Will Congress codify the transfers? McMahon: Already briefed dozens of members; once transfers proven successful, will ask Congress to make permanent.
- Brian – Update on Harvard negotiations? McMahon: Ongoing, “very comfortable” – close to finalizing.
- Diana – Federal AI standard for schools? Does Trump personally use AI? McMahon: Saw amazing AI tutoring at Alpha School in Austin (2 hrs/day individualized, then life-skills). Needs guardrails but very promising. Leavitt: Never seen Trump use AI.
- Michael – Charter-school grants / special-needs funding during transition? McMahon: Zero interruption – legally obligated. First transfers (WIOA/Perkins) already to Labor; their grant system far superior (“ours is held together with bubble gum”).
- Carrie/Rick – Half of medical schools reportedly defying new DEI rules – consequences? McMahon: President has been clear – DEI offices closed, rules stripped. Measures will continue.
- Rick – Only 3/10 students literate – will states fix it? McMahon: States already leading – science of reading success stories. Federal government only 8–10 % of education budget; too much spent on compliance. Will publish “best-practices toolkit” from 50-state tour.
(Leavitt takes over)
- Javier (Spanish media) – Why legacy media silent on murdered journalists in Mexico? Trump plan for cartels? Leavitt: Condemns murders. Mexico (President Sheinbaum) has been “incredibly cooperative.” Trump keeping all options on the table against cartels.
- Question on NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani meeting tomorrow Leavitt: “It speaks volumes that a communist is coming to the White House” because that’s who NY Democrats elected. Trump willing to work with anyone for Americans.
- Nancy (CNN) – Trump said 6 Dem lawmakers committed “sedition punishable by death” – does he want them executed? Leavitt (strong pushback): They made a video urging active-duty troops to defy lawful orders – extremely dangerous, breaks chain of command. Former CIA/Navy officers knew exactly what they were doing. “If Republicans did this, this room would explode.”
10–15. Ukraine peace plan updates Leavitt: Trump frustrated with both sides. Rubio & special envoy Whitkopf have worked quietly for a month, engaging Russia and Ukraine equally. Plan exists, both sides briefed, talks ongoing. “We believe it should be acceptable to both.”
Remaining rapid-fire: G20 (US not participating in talks, only handover), “Piggy” nickname for reporter (“Trump is frank”), Coast Guard, France relations, Qatar mediation rumors (declined details), etc.
Briefing ends abruptly because President Trump is about to meet freed Israeli hostages upstairs.