On November 19th, US President-elect Donald Trump announced his nomination of Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and former Small Business Administration Administrator, as the Secretary of Education. McMahon, who was a co-leader of Trump’s transition team, had previously been considered as a candidate for Secretary of Commerce. However, on Tuesday morning, Trump announced another leader of the transition team, Wall Street financier Howard Lutnick, as the nominee for that position.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump expressed that Linda McMahon, as Secretary of Education, would tirelessly work to expand “education choice” to every state in the US, empowering parents to make the best educational decisions for their families.
Trump highlighted McMahon’s previous experience as a member of the Connecticut Board of Education, overseeing public education in the state along with serving two terms on the board of Sacred Heart University in Connecticut for over 16 years. He commended McMahon for utilizing her decades of leadership experience and profound understanding of education and business to support the next generation of American students and workers in making US education world-class.
Linda McMahon, a major donor to the Republican Party and former CEO of WWE, had previously served as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term. She was appointed in 2017 and resigned in 2019 to become the chair of the pro-Trump super PAC, America First Action. McMahon also currently serves as the Chair of the America First Policy Institute, a pro-Trump think tank established in 2021 by herself, Larry Kudlow, and other advisors from Trump’s first administration.
Throughout his campaign, Trump advocated for the abolition of the federal Department of Education. McMahon might oversee the dissolution of the department and the return of educational affairs to state governments.
Trump stated, “We will send education back to the states, and Linda will lead this effort.”
Nevertheless, closing the department would require action from Congress and might necessitate obtaining a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate. While the Republicans control the Senate, they would still need Democratic support to reach the threshold for abolishing the Department of Education.