President-elect Donald Trump has selected Linda McMahon as his nominee to lead the Department of Education.
McMahon is a founder of World Wrestling Entertainment and a longtime supporter of the 45th and 47th president. “For the past four years, as the Chair of the Board at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), Linda has been a fierce advocate for Parents’ Rights, working hard at both AFPI and America First Works (AFW) to achieve Universal School Choice in 12 States, giving children the opportunity to receive an excellent Education, regardless of zip code or income,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump continued by laying out her educational bona fides: “Linda served for two years on the Connecticut Board of Education, where she was one of fifteen members overseeing all Public Education in the State, including its Technical High School system. She also served as a Member of the Board of Trustees at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, for two stints totaling over 16 years. She is now doing an incredible job as Co-Chair of our Trump-Vance Transition Team.”
The former professional wrestling mogul has served in the Trump administration before, heading up the Small Business Administration (SBA) in Trump’s first bat as president.
She resigned in 2019 to lead a pro-Trump super PAC called “America First Action.” McMahon was replaced with Jovita Carranza, Trump’s former treasury secretary.
During the most recent round of Cabinet-position sweeps, the press was flooded with rumors that Trump might pick McMahon as Secretary of Commerce. Ultimately, Trump tapped Cantor Fitzgerald’s Chief Executive Howard Lutnick for that post.
The Senate voted overwhelmingly to approve McMahon’s appointment as the head of the Small Business Administration, 81-19, in 2017.
McMahon will again need Senate approval to serve in this new role. After the new Senate members are sworn in in January, Republicans will control the chamber with 53 seats.