President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he has chosen billionaire Linda McMahon to be his incoming administration’s Secretary of Education. In his nomination announcement on November 19, Trump praised the “incredible” work McMahon is doing as co-chair of his transition team.
“Over the past four years, as Chair of the Board of Directors at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), Linda has been a strong advocate for parental rights, working hard at both AFPI and America First Work (AFW) to achieve universal school choice in 12 states, giving children the opportunity to receive a great education, regardless of zip code or income,” the Republican noted.
“As Secretary of Education, Linda will fight tirelessly to expand ‘choice’ to every state in America and empower parents to make the best educational decisions for their families,” Trump added.
According to the Guardian, Ms. McMahon ran for a Senate seat representing Connecticut twice in 2010 and 2012 but lost both times. The 76-year-old has been a constant presence in Mr. Trump’s tumultuous orbit in recent years.
She was appointed chairwoman of Mr. Trump’s transition team in August, after donating a whopping $814,600 to the Republican candidate’s re-election campaign. Previously, the billionaire served in Mr. Trump’s cabinet during his first term as head of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019.
Ms. McMahon has served as the head of the super PAC political action group called “America First Action” supported Mr. Trump’s second run for office in 2020. After Mr. Trump lost the election, she helped found the Washington-based think tank AFPI to continue to support Mr. Trump’s agenda. Since 2021, Ms. McMahon has been the chairwoman of the board of directors of AFPI as well as its affiliated American Workers Center.
Ms. McMahon and her husband, Vince McMahon, founded World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and resigned as CEO of the company to enter politics. In October, Ms. McMahon was named in a new lawsuit, accusing WWE executives of failing to prevent or turn a blind eye to the sexual abuse of boys by ringside announcer and former human resources director Melvin Phillips Jr. However, Ms. McMahon’s attorney has insisted that her client did nothing wrong.
Observers note that McMahon is relatively unknown in the education industry despite her support for private schools and school choice. The businesswoman joined the Connecticut State Board of Education in 2009 and said at the time that she had a lifelong interest in education and had planned to become a teacher, a goal that fell through after she got married. She also served on the board of trustees of Sacred Heart University in Connecticut for many years.
