Linda McMahon was confirmed as the Education Secretary in the Trump 2.0 cabinet in February.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to begin dismantling the Department of Education, putting Secretary Linda McMahon’s job at risk. Speaking at the White House, Trump declared, “We’re going to shut it down as quickly as possible. It’s doing us no good.” He called it a step toward eliminating federal oversight in education.
Ms McMahon, appointed earlier this year, has been tasked with the final mission of overseeing the department’s dissolution but its complete closure still requires Congressional approval.
Who is Linda McMahon?
- Linda McMahon was born in New Bern, North Carolina. She earned a bachelor’s degree in French and a teaching certification from East Carolina University. She once aspired to be a teacher but set aside the dream after marriage.
- Alongside her husband Vince McMahon, she played a crucial role in transforming Capitol Wrestling into WWE, a global entertainment powerhouse. She co-founded Titan Sports, Inc. in 1980, which later became WWE. She served as WWE’s president and CEO until 2009.
- In 2009, Ms McMahon was nominated to the Connecticut State Board of Education and served for a year. She was also a board member at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. In 2010 and 2012, she ran for a US Senate seat in Connecticut but lost both bids.
- In 2016, she donated $6 million to support Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. After Trump’s victory, she was appointed Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) in 2017.
- She stepped down in 2019, with Trump praising her as a “superstar.”
- After leaving the SBA, Ms McMahon chaired America First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC. She later co-founded the America First Policy Institute, a think tank promoting Trump’s conservative agenda.
- She was confirmed as the Education Secretary in the Trump 2.0 cabinet in February.
- Linda and Vince McMahon have faced legal challenges related to WWE. A lawsuit filed on behalf of former WWE “Ring Boys” accused the McMahons of failing to address abuse allegations. The lawsuit alleged that ringside announcer Melvin Phillips Jr was given “free reign” to exploit young boys. It also claimed the McMahons had known about Phillips’ behaviour since the 1980s. The McMahons have denied all allegations.