United States President- elect Donald Trump has nominated Linda McMahon, the former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) CEO to lead the Education Department when his administration begins in January.
The decision, which Trump announced Tuesday night, confirmed McMahon his long-time ally for the position.
“Linda will use her decades of Leadership experience, and deep understanding of both Education and Business, to empower the next Generation of American Students and Workers, and make America Number One in Education in the World. We will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will spearhead that effort,” Trump said in a statement.
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McMahon, a major Republican donor and a former pro-wrestling executive, served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term. She was appointed in 2017 and resigned in 2019 to become the chair of America First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC.
Trump has criticised the Department of Education, and has promised to close it down – a job McMahon could be tasked with after Trump returns to the White House in January 2025.
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Under the new education secretary, the department may use the formal regulatory process to undo changes the Biden administration made to Title IX that sought to expand protections for LGBTQ+ students. A new rule could potentially say that Title IX prevents trans students from playing on girls’ sports teams, something Trump campaigned on.
McMahon is a French graduate, certified teacher and also the former CEO of the WWE, which she co-founded with her husband, Vince McMahon. As head of the WWE, Linda McMahon oversaw its transformation from a small wrestling entertainment company into a publicly traded media empire. She stepped down as CEO in 2009.
McMahon twice ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate in Connecticut, losing in 2010 and 2012. She self-funded those campaigns, spending $50.1 million in 2010 and $48.7 million in 2012.
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