Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon is President-elect Donald Trump’s decide for Schooling secretary, a job that would put her on the forefront of divisive cultural debates over dad and mom’ rights, transgender athletes, faculty alternative and the boundaries of free speech on faculty campuses.
“Linda will use her a long time of Management expertise, and deep understanding of each Schooling and Enterprise, to empower the subsequent Technology of American College students and Staff, and make America Quantity One in Schooling within the World,’’ Trump mentioned in a press release asserting her nomination Tuesday night time.
McMahon, who served on the Connecticut State Board of Schooling for a bit over a yr, has lengthy been one among Trump’s most trusted lieutenants: She is the co-chair of his transition staff and has raised hundreds of thousands of {dollars} for his marketing campaign as chair of the Tremendous PAC America First Motion. Throughout his first time period, she ran the Small Enterprise Administration.
Through the marketing campaign, Trump advocated for a conservative schooling agenda, vowing to chop funding for faculties that educate important race idea or “radical gender ideology,” to deport “pro-Hamas radicals” who take part in campus protests and to “preserve males out of ladies’s sports activities.”
He additionally promised to close down the division, a transfer many consultants say can be tough if not not possible.
“We’ll ship Schooling BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will spearhead that effort,’’ Trump mentioned in his announcement.
McMahon is chair of the board of the America First Coverage Institute, which advocates for college alternative and the usage of public funds — by vouchers and tax credit — for personal academic establishments. “Linda has been a fierce advocate for Mother and father’ Rights…to realize Common College Alternative in 12 States, giving kids the chance to obtain a wonderful Schooling, no matter zip code or revenue,’’ Trump mentioned.
The Division of Schooling doesn’t set curriculum requirements; that’s carried out on the state and native ranges. Nevertheless, it administers greater than $18 billion in Title 1 grants, which assist fund the nation’s neediest faculty districts, oversees the federal pupil mortgage program and enforces civil rights legal guidelines in faculties that obtain federal funding.
Becky Pringle, president of the Nationwide Schooling Affiliation, the nation’s largest academics union, slammed Trump’s decide.
“By choosing Linda McMahon, Donald Trump is exhibiting that he couldn’t care much less about our college students’ futures. Slightly than working to strengthen public faculties, develop studying alternatives for college students, and help educators, [McMahon’s] solely mission is to remove the Division of Schooling and take away taxpayer {dollars} from public faculties,’’ Pringle mentioned in a press release.
McMahon and her husband Vince McMahon constructed WWE into a world leisure empire and accrued huge wealth. Final month, the couple was named in a lawsuit introduced on behalf of 5 former WWE “ring boys,” who allege the McMahons knowingly permitted a former ringside announcer to make use of his place to sexually exploit kids as younger as 12 and 13 years outdated.
An lawyer representing Vince McMahon said in a statement to The Related Press that they have been “assured the courtroom will discover that these claims are unfaithful and unfounded.” (The Justice Department is also investigating Vince McMahon, based on the lawyer for a girl who has filed a lawsuit in opposition to him alleging sexual misconduct. Vince McMahon resigned from the corporate in January, after the lawsuit was filed, and denies the allegations.)
In contrast to present Schooling Secretary Miguel Cardona, McMahon just isn’t an educator or faculty administrator. In 2009, she was appointed to the Connecticut State Board of Schooling by Gov. M. Jodi Rell, a Republican, and at present serves on the board of trustees of Sacred Heart University, a non-public faculty in Fairfield, Conn.
“She’s a really good woman,” Rell mentioned. “She’s an excellent businesswoman…[and] a no-nonsense individual.”
McMahon left her place at WWE in 2009 to run for Senate in Connecticut. She spent $50 million however misplaced in 2010 to Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal. In 2012, she ran once more, additionally spending near $50 million, and misplaced to Democratic Sen. Christopher S. Murphy.
McMahon’s reference to Trump goes again a long time. She and Vince McMahon gave $5 million to the Donald J. Trump Basis throughout a time period when Trump made a number of appearances on WWE programming. Trump is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame.
Niels Lesniewski contributed to this report.
