WWE to Politics: Why Linda McMahon Is An Unconventional Pick For Education

Washington:

Linda McMahon, the billionaire co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Donald Trump's transition co-chair, and longtime ally, has been named as the president-elect's pick for education secretary for his administration.

In July 2024, McMahon had donated $814,600 to Trump's campaign, post which she was made the chair for the transition team.

Trump said in a statement, “As Secretary of Education, Linda will fight tirelessly to expand ‘Choice' to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best Education decisions for their families. … We will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will spearhead that effort.”

Additionally, he also took to Truth Social to announce that McMahon would, "use her decades of leadership experience, and deep understanding of both Education and Business, to empower the next Generation of American Students and Workers".

It is notable that McMahon has no official experience in the domain of education - no background in teaching or making policies for education, except the fact that she served for over a year at the Connecticut State Board of Education.

Her nomination came in shortly after Trump chose Mehmet Oz, a television personality and celebrity doctor to oversee Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare.

Trump's cabinet choices have been accused of following a pattern of choosing loyalists over experts and it is concerning.

"President Trump is a job creator and the best friend American workers have had in the White House," McMahon told the Republican National Convention crowd in Milwaukee. She added, "Donald Trump is not only a fighter, ladies and gentlemen. He is a good man. He has the heart of a lion and the soul of a warrior. And I believe that, if necessary, he would stand at the gates of hell to defend our country."

Nonetheless, she did not shrink back when criticising Trump regarding his remarks about women during his 2016 presidential bid. In an interview to Yahoo, she said, "Those [comments] were just over the top; they were deplorable, objectionable absolutely." She added, "He's not helping, certainly, to put women in the best light. Maybe he regrets them, maybe he doesn't. I realise he punches hard when he punches back, but that's just over the top. I wish that no candidate would make those comments."

The president-elect has had appearances at WWE and he has a long history with McMahon. She also chairs the board for the think-tank America First Policy Institute. “For the past four years, as the Chair of the Board at the America First Policy Institute, Linda has been a fierce advocate for Parents' Rights,” said Trump, in a statement.

However, there has been an allegation surrounding McMahon, where she was named in a lawsuit. According to it, she, her husband, Vince McMahon and other company leaders allowed young boys to be sexually abused by a ringside announcer. The McMahons deny any involvement in the matter and their lawyer has claimed that the allegation is "absurd, defamatory and utterly meritless".

Linda McMahon entered the political orbit after stepping down from her position at WWE, after which she ran for a US Senate seat twice, but lost both times to Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, in the years 2010 and 2012, respectively.

Linda McMahon's nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Education arrives at a time of significant turmoil, marked by ongoing legal battles over President Joe Biden's student loan initiatives and President-elect Donald Trump's repeated vows to dismantle the department altogether. This uncertainty raises questions about the future of education policy, particularly regarding student loan forgiveness, school choice, and Title IX protections.