Staff Reports
Linda McMahon, a prominent figure in the world of wrestling and business, has been handed a rather unique position by President-elect Donald Trump—leading a department he plans to dismantle. It seems almost scripted, fitting for a WWE storyline, as McMahon prepares to body slam the Department of Education (DOE) into irrelevance, fulfilling a conservative dream of slashing bureaucracy that has been years in the making.
McMahon’s background is more than just high-flying wrestling tales. She co-founded World Wrestling Entertainment with her husband, Vince McMahon, and served as the chairwoman of the America First Policy Institute. She also made a name for herself in the Trump administration by heading the Small Business Administration. Despite her illustrious career, she now must transition from business cheerleader to bureaucratic executioner. As Trump insists, her mission will be to send education back to states—something that has many conservative activists cheering from the sidelines, especially parents concerned about leftist indoctrination in schools.
Linda McMahon presents the Department of Education a WWE-style "SmackDown" https://t.co/z7is4bQlAu
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) November 21, 2024
While McMahon has notably kept a low profile since her appointment, she’s likely aware of the Conservative world’s enthusiasm for her hiring. Activists like those from Moms for Liberty see her as an ally who understands the urgent need for parental rights in education. McMahon’s past experience on the Connecticut Board of Education and her advocacy for school choice will ostensibly fuel her efforts, but her real test will be to take the chop to a massive department rife with federal overreach.
The challenge McMahon faces is as daunting as it is ironic: she must downsize the DOE while simultaneously upholding its authority as an administrative agency. There’s humor in that predicament—it’s like trying to build a sandcastle while the tide is coming in. The federal government’s tentacles run deep in education funding, and with roughly $1.5 trillion in student debt floating around like a bad wrestling gimmick, McMahon’s task will involve managing the fallout of the Biden administration’s debt initiatives and the subsequent legal mess they’ve left behind.
Trump’s vision includes using whatever resources the DOE has left to tackle other significant issues. He plans to launch civil rights investigations into discrimination within school districts and cut off funding for institutions promoting divisive ideologies like Critical Race Theory. Trump also wants to reward districts that adopt merit-based pay and cut administrative positions. McMahon’s skills in management will be put to the test here, especially when it comes to respecting the rights of homeschooling parents and the new tax-free spending opportunities for education they may have.
As if those were not enough hurdles, Trump has also announced plans for creating an “American Academy” aimed at providing untainted educational content. This initiative would allow families to bypass the traditional education system and potentially shake things up for colleges with hefty endowments. McMahon’s backstage pass to this initiative is yet another twist in her already convoluted path in the education sector. It appears that this new chapter may blend the world of political intrigue with the theatricality of wrestling—who knew the mat was only the beginning of the show?
