Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education
Last updated: 21 November 2025
Summary
Linda McMahon serves as Secretary of Education in Donald J. Trump’s second administration. A former professional-wrestling executive, two-time U.S. Senate candidate and administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term, McMahon enters the role with deep experience in business management but little prior background in public-education governance. Her leadership signals a substantial reshaping of federal education priorities: expanded school-choice initiatives, deregulation of higher education, rollback of civil-rights guidelines and a philosophical shift toward parental governance and local control. Supporters view her as a disciplined executive who can challenge entrenched bureaucracy and strengthen alternatives to traditional public schools. Critics argue that her agenda undermines public education, weakens institutional protections for vulnerable students and channels federal resources toward private and religious schooling.
Background and Rise
Linda Marie Edwards McMahon was born in 1948 in North Carolina and raised in a middle-class family. After graduating from East Carolina University with a degree in French, she married Vince McMahon and entered the world of professional wrestling promotion. Together they built World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) into a global entertainment empire. McMahon served as CEO for multiple decades and is widely credited with helping the company pivot to a publicly traded corporation with international reach.
McMahon became involved in politics in the 2010s, running twice as the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Connecticut. Although unsuccessful, her campaigns elevated her national profile. In 2016 President-elect Trump nominated her as administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). She served in that role from 2017 to 2019, overseeing federal programs for small-business loans and disaster relief. She later became chair of the America First Action political committee, strengthening her ties to Trump’s political operation.
With Trump’s return to the White House, McMahon was nominated to serve as Secretary of Education. She was confirmed in early 2025 after hearings in which she pledged to restore “local authority, parental involvement and educational freedom” while reducing federal regulatory burdens. Her nomination reflected the administration’s broader shift toward alternative schooling models and skepticism of federal involvement in curriculum, civil-rights enforcement and higher-education regulation.
Role and Influence in the Administration
As Secretary of Education, McMahon oversees federal involvement in K-12 schooling, higher education, student loans, vocational programs, civil-rights enforcement, research funding and early-childhood initiatives. Though education is largely administered at the state and local levels, the Department of Education wields significant influence through grant programs, federal regulations and Title IX enforcement.
McMahon’s early actions emphasise decentralisation, deregulation and expansion of school-choice programs. She has framed her vision of education as a marketplace of ideas in which parents should have maximum authority and federal bureaucracies should have minimal interference. Inside the administration, she collaborates with the Departments of Labor and Commerce to tie vocational training to workforce needs, and with the Department of Justice on school safety and civil-rights compliance.
Her management style mirrors her business background: streamlined decision-making, public messaging centred on empowerment and a strong emphasis on outcomes rather than process. Critics argue that this approach risks reducing complex educational environments to simplistic business metrics.
Policy Priorities and Orientation
Expansion of school choice
McMahon champions a broad expansion of charter schools, private-school vouchers, homeschooling incentives and education-savings accounts. She argues that parents must have full authority to choose educational environments, and that competition will improve teaching quality and student achievement. Opponents fear her agenda will divert public funds from traditional schools and accelerate inequalities.
Deregulation and federal withdrawal
McMahon supports reducing or eliminating federal reporting requirements, weakening oversight of state education systems and limiting the role of the Department of Education in curriculum and discipline guidance. This includes a retreat from Obama- and Biden-era guidelines on school discipline, civil-rights protections and gender-identity accommodations.
Higher-education reform
She advocates for reduced federal involvement in accreditation, expanded growth of online degree programs and increased corporate partnerships in vocational training. She also supports restructuring student-loan programs to shift financial risk away from taxpayers and toward higher-education institutions.
Civic education and values
McMahon has supported initiatives promoting “foundational American values,” though details remain under development. Critics worry such programs may frame complex historical issues in politically selective ways.
Controversies and Criticism
Lack of education-sector experience
McMahon’s background in business and entertainment rather than education administration led many educators and advocacy organisations to question her qualifications. Critics argue that leading a multi-billion-dollar entertainment company does not translate to expertise in pedagogy, school governance or curriculum development.
Civil-rights concerns
Civil-rights organisations have warned that McMahon’s rollback of federal guidelines on discrimination, sexual harassment, disability accommodations and LGBTQ+ protections may leave vulnerable students at risk. Her supporters argue that these issues are better resolved at the local level.
Funding priorities
Analysts have criticised reductions in federal support for public-school improvement programs, teacher-training initiatives and special-education oversight. Opponents contend that shifting funds toward school-choice initiatives undermines schools serving low-income and rural students.
Ties to political donor networks
McMahon’s leadership at pro-Trump super PACs has raised concerns about political influence over federal education policy. Critics argue that her appointment reflects political loyalty rather than educational expertise.
Culture-war positioning
McMahon’s rhetoric emphasising parental rights, curriculum transparency and “restoring American values” has made her a central figure in education-related culture debates. Supporters praise her willingness to challenge what they see as ideological capture in public education. Opponents argue that her language encourages political pressure on teachers and administrators.
Public Image and Outlook
Linda McMahon’s public image is a mix of business executive, political loyalist and education reformer. Supporters describe her as a disciplined manager capable of bringing efficiency and innovation to a sprawling federal department. Critics portray her as an ideologically driven appointee whose agenda prioritises privatisation and deregulation over equitable and evidence-based policy.
Her legacy will depend on measurable outcomes: student-achievement trends, the financial stability of school districts, expansion of alternatives to public schooling, the strength of civil-rights enforcement and the viability of higher-education reforms. Whether she is ultimately seen as a transformative reformer or a partisan disruptor will hinge on whether her policies yield durable improvements in educational access and quality.
Sources
United States Department of Education — “Secretary Linda McMahon”
CNN — “Trump selects Linda McMahon to head Department of Education”
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