Meet Linda McMahon: From Wrestling to Trump's Education Pick

Linda McMahon might be leading the U. S. Department of Education, a department President Trump once vowed to demolish. She's no stranger to Trump's team, having already served under him as the Small Business Administration (SBA) head from 2017 to 2019. Now, she's back, this time with a new mission: shaping Title IX changes and handling student debt. But who is Linda McMahon? Linda McMahon hails from the world of wrestling. She co-founded World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) with her husband, Vince McMahon, in 1980. Their small company, Titan Sports, grew into a massive corporation. Even though she stepped down as WWE's CEO in 2009, her connections to Trump remain strong. WWE even donated millions to the Donald J. Trump Foundation during her time there. McMahon's background in education is fairly limited. She spent a year on Connecticut's State Board of Education in 2009 and was on Sacred Heart University's board of trustees in 2004. The university even named a building after her in 2012. Recently, she chaired the America First Policy Institute, which advocates for eliminating diversity and inclusion offices. However, McMahon's nomination isn't without controversy. In October 2022, she was named in a lawsuit related to sexual abuse allegations involving a former WWE announcer. The lawsuit claims that McMahon and her husband knew about the announcer's behavior but didn't stop it. Before being considered for Education Secretary, McMahon was rumored to be in line for the Commerce Secretary role. But that position went to Howard Lutnick, a billionaire investor and Trump's transition team co-chair.