What to know about Education Secretary Linda McMahon
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Linda McMahon testifies during her Senate confirmation hearing on Feb. 13. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Education Secretary Linda McMahon will play a pivotal role in the Trump administration's efforts to fundamentally reshape the U.S. education system.
Why it matters: President Trump plans to sign an executive order Thursday aimed at dismantling the Department of Education, a move with monumental ramifications for students and families across the country.
The big picture: The Education Department plays a huge role in ensuring that education access and quality are equitable for students around the U.S.
- It provides supplemental funding for school districts in need, enforces anti-discrimination protections, and administers grants and student loans to millions.
- Trump's executive order is the first step toward fulfilling his campaign promise to remove federal oversight of states' public education systems.
Reality check: Officially shuttering a federal department would require congressional action, likely including 60 votes in the Senate. Republicans currently are well short of the threshold needed to quash a potential Democrat-led filibuster.
Here's what to know about McMahon:
McMahon's background
McMahon is originally from New Bern, North Carolina. She earned a bachelor's degree in French and a teaching certification from East Carolina University.
- McMahon and her husband, Vince McMahon, co-founded Titan Sports, Inc. in 1980, which later became World Wrestling Entertainment.
- Before embarking on a career in public service, she served as WWE's president and CEO until 2009.
Zoom in: She was nominated to the Connecticut State Board of Education in 2009. She served in the role until 2010, when she resigned to pursue two runs for U.S. Senate in Connecticut, losing both bids.
- McMahon served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump's first term, from 2017 to 2019.
- Following her stint at SBA, McMahon served as the chair of the pro-Trump super PAC, America First Action.
- She also previously served as the chair of the board and chair of the Center for the American Worker at the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute.
WWE allegations
A lawsuit filed last year on behalf of five former WWE "Ring Boys" accused the McMahons of being complicit in the grooming and sexual exploitation of children.
- The lawsuit alleged the McMahons knowingly gave ringside announcer Melvin Phillips Jr. "free reign" to entice boys as young as 12 or 13 to help around the shows.
- The lawsuit also alleged that the McMahons knew since at least as early as the 1980s that Phillips had a "peculiar and unnatural interest" in boys.
- The McMahons have denied the allegations.
What McMahon has said about the Education Department
During her Senate confirmation hearing, McMahon echoed Trump's pledge to abolish the Department of Education but acknowledged it would require congressional approval.
- Following her confirmation earlier this month, McMahon issued a statement underscoring the shared desire between herself and Trump to "send education back to the states."
- "American education ... ought not to be corrupted by political ideologies, special interests, and unjust discrimination," she added, vowing to "eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy" in the education system.
Go deeper: What to know about Trump's plan to eliminate the Department of Education
