Former Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Chief of Staff Sheila Nix join The People's Cabinet to break down Donald Trump’s and Linda McMahon’s plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education — and what that means for students, teachers, schools, and families nationwide.

They explain how eliminating the Department of Education could:

- Slash funding for special education programs

- Defund rural schools, especially in high-poverty communities

- End civil rights enforcement in classrooms

- Jeopardize college affordability — including Pell Grants, student loans, and access to student debt relief and loan forgiveness programs

If you’ve ever wondered how closing the Department of Education could affect your child’s school, your town, or your rights, this episode gives you the tools to understand — and explain — what’s at stake.

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Trump’s executive orders. Medicaid cuts. Political fear as strategy. Neera Tanden breaks it all down — and explains how Democrats can fight back.

In this episode of The People’s Cabinet, Dan Koh interviews Neera Tanden, President & CEO of the Center for American Progress and former White House Domestic Policy Advisor, for a deep dive into:

- How executive orders work — and how Trump is misusing them

- Why courts are blocking his actions with temporary restraining orders

- The real-world stakes of Medicaid cuts for families and state budgets

Tanden, a key architect of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), explains:

- 90% of Medicaid recipients are working or in training

- Children are the largest group who would lose health coverage

- Medicaid cuts could increase death rates and gut state budgets

The episode ends on a hopeful note — with a call to organize, reject fear, and build a positive, opportunity-focused Democratic message that speaks to working families and immigrant communities.

Sen. Ruben Gallego joins Dan Koh to talk about how Democrats should approach the border — and how that message can help win back the voters they’ve been losing.

From immigration and deportation to working-class men, veterans, and messaging in swing states, Senator Gallego shares what’s broken — and what actually works. Drawing on his experience outperforming the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket in Arizona by 8 points, he lays out a path forward rooted in empathy, clarity, and political strategy.

Subscribe to The People’s Cabinet for new episodes every Tuesday — and let us know who you want to see sworn in next.