Feb 13, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Linda McMahon auditions to lead Education Department Trump wants to eliminate

Avery Lotz

Linda McMahon looks on while waiting for a meeting on Capitol Hill. — Linda McMahon arrives for a meeting with Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin, not pictured, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Wednesday, Jan. 8. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Linda McMahon, who once helmed World Wrestling Entertainment, will take her turn with the Senate Thursday as President Trump's pick to lead the Education Department.

Why it matters: Lawmakers will likely press McMahon on the president tapping her to lead an agency has repeatedly said he wants shut down.

Trump's proposals to dismantle the Department of Education could have dramatic implications for public schools that rely on federal funds to fill gaps in state and local support. On top of that, experts say it could be a recipe for chaos as critical government programs are reorganized.
Trump told reporters earlier this month he hopes McMahon will "put herself out of a job."

Reality check: Eliminating the Department of Education, which has been a punching bag for the GOP for decades, would require congressional action.

But that's not to say the administration won't try to dismantle it before urging lawmakers to deliver the final blow.
The Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has begun dissecting the agency from the inside, claiming the team has terminated some $881 million in contracts deemed wasteful.
Members of the DOGE team have also reportedly obtained "administrator" emails in the department's system, NBC reported.

State of play: Labor unions have turned to the courts amid the DOGE-driven dismantling at federal agencies, including in a recent lawsuit seeking to stop the team from accessing private information at the Education and Treasury departments and the Office of Personnel Management.

McMahon, if confirmed, would be tasked with implementing several education-related executive orders Trump has signed, including one that threatens to slash funding for K-12 schools that "indoctrinate" students by teaching about race and gender.

The big picture: McMahon, the former Small Business Administration director and a longtime Trump ally (and megadonor), appears before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) at 10am ET.

Beyond Trump's push to decimate the agency, McMahon may also face questioning over WWE controversies, including allegations that she and her husband, Vince McMahon, turned a blind eye to sexual abuse at the company.
Attorneys representing the McMahons have denied those allegations.

What we're watching: She will likely address the nation's pervasive learning loss trend exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York Times reports.

Go deeper: Trump taps major donors, eldest sons to lead transition team

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Linda McMahon auditions to lead Education Department Trump wants to eliminate

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