Categories: Politics

Trump signs executive order to block federal money for schools, universities with COVID vaccine mandates

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday barring schools who still have coronavirus vaccine mandates from receiving federal funds. 

The order, according to a report from Breitbart confirmed by the White House, prohibits “federal funds from being used to support or subsidize an educational service agency, state education agency, local education agency, elementary school, secondary school, or institution of higher education that requires students to have received a COVID-19 vaccination to attend in-person education programs.”

It also tasks Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and the Secretary of Education to establish guidelines for compliance and to “provide a plan to end coercive COVID-19 vaccine mandates.”

That includes coming up with a system to block federal funding to “educational entities” that have coronavirus vaccine mandates.

NO LONGER TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF: TRUMP SIGNS ORDER PRIORITIZING ‘UNIFIED’ US FOREIGN POLICY FRONT

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House, where he signed an executive order, on Thursday, Feb. 13. (AP/Ben Curtis)

“That solves that problem,” Trump said in the Oval Office.

TRUMP ISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDERS ON RECIPROCAL TARIFFS

Trump also signed an executive order Friday establishing an “energy council” led by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

It’s not clear how many schools will be affected by the vaccine order. The nonprofit Immunize.org said as of May 2024, no state required COVID-19 vaccines for any grade level K-12. No College Mandates, a group pushing to end coronavirus vaccine mandates, reported that as of December 2024, 15 of the more than 1,200 institutions it tracked had some form of coronavirus vaccine mandate.

An executive order Trump signed in late January called a vaccine mandate for U.S. service members “unfair, overbroad, and [a] completely unnecessary burden.” 

In December 2021, parents opposed to Los Angeles Unified School District’s student vaccine mandate rallied outside the district office. (Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)

That order called to “make reinstatement available to all members of the military (active and reserve) who were discharged solely for refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and who request to be reinstated.” 

The order said in August 2021, the Secretary of Defense “mandated that all service members receive the COVID-19 vaccine.” That mandate was rescinded in January 2023. 

Parents watch their kids line up during the first day of class at Stanford Elementary School in Garden Grove, Calif., in August 2021. At the time, students and teachers were required to wear masks in the classroom, but not outside.  (Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump also signed an executive order in January that removes federal funding from K-12 schools that teach critical race theory. 

Share

Recent Posts

Lawmakers call to remove Charlie Kirk assassination videos

When conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking event at Utah…

1 hour ago

Amazon backs AI startup that lets you make TV shows

What if you could write your own episode of a hit show without a crew…

19 hours ago

Shamos malware tricks Mac users with fake fixes

A dangerous new malware campaign is targeting Mac users worldwide. Security researchers at CrowdStrike uncovered…

19 hours ago

Even with Trump’s tariff blessing, Apple hikes iPhone prices

Apple's big annual event on Tuesday delivered a polished and tightly produced showcase. The company's…

2 days ago

Australia debuts first multi-story 3D printed home – built in just 5 months

A major milestone in construction has arrived. This time from Western Australia. Contec Australia has…

3 days ago

How to safeguard your credit score in retirement as fraud and identity theft rise among seniors

You've worked hard, saved smart, and now it's time to enjoy your retirement years. But…

3 days ago