WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Linda McMahon, the former head of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and wrestling executive, to lead the Department of Education in his administration.
The Education Department plays a critical role in overseeing public school funding, managing federal student aid programs, and gathering educational data across the U.S. However, Trump has previously stated his intention to downsize the department, advocating for the redistribution of its responsibilities to state-level officials.
“We will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will lead that charge,” Trump said in a statement on Tuesday.
McMahon recently filled in as the Executive of the Private venture Organization under Trump from 2017 to 2019. In 2010, she unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate from Connecticut as the Republican candidate, losing to Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal.
While McMahon’s experience directly related to education is limited, she did serve on the Connecticut Board of Education for one year starting in 2009. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in French and a teaching certification from East Carolina University, although she did not pursue a long-term career in education.
In addition to her work in government, McMahon has been a staunch ally of Trump, serving as the chair of the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank that was established in 2021 to advance Trump’s political agenda. McMahon also co-led Trump’s transition team alongside Howard Lutnick, who was nominated to head the Commerce Department.
Before her political career, McMahon and her husband Vince McMahon helped found Capitol Wrestling, which later became World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Both were recently named in a lawsuit accusing WWE leadership of enabling systemic abuse of minors in the wrestling world.
McMahon has been a frequent supporter of Trump, appearing at the Republican National Convention and standing alongside other wrestling figures who endorsed his candidacy.
