Ever since Donald Trump’s re-election, political tensions have been on the rise. In particular, Trump has faced backlash for his cabinet picks, some of the most controversial being Elon Musk, Pete Hegseth, and Linda McMahon, the focus of this piece. What makes McMahon, the secretary of education pick, so controversial? Maybe it is her lack of experience in education or the recent lawsuit filed against her and her husband, Vince McMahon, accusing them of allowing child abuse and sexual exploitation to take place within the company they ran. If you wish to decide for yourself, continue reading.
Although the focus of this piece is to evaluate Linda McMahon’s potential role in the cabinet, her background in business plays a crucial role in illustrating why Trump’s picking her for this role was shocking to many. Unlike many previous Secretary of Education Picks who served multiple years in the public school system, as a university president, or as a governor/government job who graduated from schools like Harvard, NYU, and Columbia, McMahon’s career has had little to do with public education. Despite graduating from East Carolina University with a teaching certificate and a degree in French and serving one year at the Conecuitt Board of Education, McMahon has had no experience in public education. Instead, she is known for her role as former president and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). McMahon, alongside her husband Vince, built up the company from scratch. Linda worked on the business side of the corporation, eventually launching a merchandise empire that made the WWE even more successful. However, her time in the WWE was not all positive. The McMahons have faced multiple sexual abuse allegations dating back to 1992. The most recent was this year when the couple was accused of allowing their employee Melvin Phillips Jr. to sexually abuse and exploit underage boys during their time at WWE.
Although her successes and failures at the WWE are monumental, those accomplishments and failures have done nothing to prepare her for the role of Secretary of Education. The SOE oversees educational funding and investigative offices. Without experience in public schools/education, there is no way for McMahon to know how funding for public schools should be used.
Linda McMahon’s plans for the education system will not be known to America until after January 1st and after McMahon’s confirmation. The future of our public education system will be greatly affected by the choices the Senate makes in 2025.
