Donald Trump, the US President-elect, has chosen Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), as his pick for education secretary. McMahon, a long-time ally of Trump, previously led the Small Business Administration during his first term. She also supported Trump’s campaign with millions of dollars in donations.
Trump has often criticized the Department of Education and has even suggested shutting it down. McMahon could be tasked with this if Trump returns to the White House in January 2025.
In addition to McMahon, Trump picked Mehmet Oz, a former TV doctor, to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This follows a trend of Trump selecting loyal supporters for top government positions.
McMahon’s background is mostly in business and WWE, where she co-founded Titan Sports in 1980. She left WWE in 2009 to run for a US Senate seat, which she lost. Although McMahon doesn’t have much experience in education, she did serve on Connecticut’s Board of Education for a brief period.
She is currently the chair of the America First Policy Institute, a think tank that supports Trump’s ideas, so she’s likely to get approval from the Republican-majority Senate. Trump praised her work for parents’ rights and said McMahon would help “send education back to the states,” which ties into his goal of reducing the department’s role in education.
Republicans have often criticized the Department of Education for promoting what they call “woke” political views, especially around issues like gender and race. They want the power over education to shift to state governments.
McMahon’s nomination comes amid a lawsuit involving the WWE, where she and her husband were accused of allowing abuse by a former employee. The McMahons deny the allegations, calling them false.
Meanwhile, Trump also picked Mehmet Oz to run CMS, the agency that oversees healthcare for millions of Americans. Oz, a well-known TV personality and doctor, has been criticized for giving questionable health advice, like promoting unproven weight loss pills and suggesting unproven drugs for Covid-19. Despite this, Trump believes Oz can help improve America’s healthcare system by cutting waste and fraud.
Both McMahon and Oz will need Senate approval before officially taking their positions. These appointments show Trump’s focus on choosing loyal supporters to help drive his policies forward, especially in areas like education and healthcare.
