Linda McMahon
Linda McMahon: Controversies and Biography (2025 Update)
Linda McMahon, the longtime executive of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and now U.S. Secretary of Education under President Donald Trump, has faced decades of scrutiny stemming from her role in professional wrestling and public office. Her confirmation to lead the Department of Education, despite lacking any substantive experience in education policy, has reignited longstanding concerns over her business ethics, government qualifications, and ties to scandal.
Major Controversies
WWE Steroid Scandal and Performer Deaths
During McMahon’s leadership of WWE from 1980 to 2009, the company was plagued by allegations of rampant steroid use and negligence toward wrestler health. The 1994 federal steroid distribution trial against her husband, Vince McMahon—who was ultimately acquitted—exposed WWE’s lax drug oversight. While Linda later implemented a drug testing policy in 2006, former wrestlers and health advocates argue it was reactive and insufficient. Numerous premature deaths of WWE performers—including Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit—have been tied to the company’s grueling schedule, drug culture, and lack of long-term medical support.
Sexual Abuse Allegations: The “Ring Boys” Scandal
In late 2024, a resurfaced civil lawsuit accused WWE executives, including Linda McMahon, of knowingly ignoring sexual abuse allegations involving teenage male ring crew members in the 1980s and 1990s. A former WWE employee alleges Linda and Vince McMahon turned a blind eye to misconduct by long-time employee Melvin Phillips Jr., who allegedly preyed on underage boys during wrestling tours. During her 2025 confirmation hearing, Linda denied any knowledge of the abuse and pointed to a decades-old FBI investigation that resulted in no charges. Critics argue her response lacked empathy and failed to address her company’s broader culture of silence and liability.
Favoring Corporations While Leading the SBA
As Administrator of the Small Business Administration (2017–2019), McMahon faced criticism for neglecting the needs of actual small businesses. A 2018 government review raised red flags about SBA funds disproportionately benefiting large corporations through loopholes in programs like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Detractors viewed McMahon’s tenure as emblematic of corporate favoritism, with critics questioning whether her leadership helped small business owners or merely padded profits for well-connected firms.
Unqualified for Secretary of Education
McMahon’s nomination as Secretary of Education in November 2024 drew bipartisan concern, especially due to her lack of professional experience in public education. Her only related credential—a B.A. in French—was once misleadingly described as an education degree on state paperwork. During her contentious Senate hearing, she struggled to outline basic policy positions. Critics derided her appointment as part of Trump’s broader strategy to gut federal education infrastructure, a plan McMahon confirmed when she backed a 20% cut to Title I funding and endorsed the dismantling of the Department of Education in a March 7 directive.
Culture Wars and Privatization Agenda
Since taking office in March 2025, McMahon has championed school privatization, charter expansion, and “anti-woke” rhetoric. At the 2025 CPAC conference, she promised to purge what she labeled “leftist indoctrination” from public classrooms. Civil rights advocates warn her rhetoric is a smokescreen for dismantling protections for marginalized students, especially in underfunded districts. Her embrace of voucher programs and opposition to DEI initiatives has triggered lawsuits from educators and parent groups across multiple states.
Linda McMahon – Biography
Full Name: Linda Marie McMahon (née Edwards)
Born: October 4, 1948, in New Bern, North Carolina
Political Party: Republican
Current Role: U.S. Secretary of Education (since March 4, 2025)
Past Roles: SBA Administrator (2017–2019), WWE CEO (1997–2009)
Education: East Carolina University (B.A., French, 1969)
Spouse: Vince McMahon (separated)
Children: Shane and Stephanie McMahon
Early Life and Business Career
McMahon graduated from East Carolina University in 1969 with a degree in French, originally aspiring to teach. She later transitioned to legal administration, working as a paralegal before co-founding Titan Sports, the precursor to WWE, with Vince McMahon. Together, they built WWE into a billion-dollar entertainment empire, despite mounting criticism over exploitative labor practices, performer deaths, and a culture of denial regarding both health and misconduct allegations.
As CEO, Linda helped usher in WWE’s PG-era branding shift but remained closely tied to its most controversial years—including the steroid crisis, sexual abuse accusations, and workplace safety failures. She left the company in 2009 to pursue politics, reportedly at the urging of top Republican donors.
Political Career
After two failed U.S. Senate campaigns in Connecticut—where she spent nearly $100 million of her own fortune—McMahon served on the state’s Board of Education before joining the Trump administration as SBA Administrator. Her SBA tenure attracted criticism for mismanagement and an overemphasis on corporate tax cuts. In 2024, she was tapped again by Trump, this time to lead the Department of Education—a role many argue she is ill-suited for, both by experience and ideology.
Recent Developments
Since her confirmation in March 2025, McMahon has moved aggressively to slash public education funding, push private school vouchers, and align federal education with Trump’s populist messaging. Her policy directives have triggered lawsuits from teacher unions and sparked investigations by civil rights watchdogs over their disparate impact on low-income and minority students. Her continued association with unresolved WWE scandals, particularly the “ring boys” case, looms large as the Maryland civil trial is set to resume in August 2025.
Personal Life
McMahon has been married to Vince McMahon since 1966, though they have reportedly been separated since at least 2024. Their children, Shane and Stephanie McMahon, have held executive roles in WWE. A longtime GOP donor, Linda gave over $15 million to support Trump’s 2024 campaign and co-chaired his transition team. Despite mounting criticism, she remains a powerful figure in Republican politics, representing the intersection of corporate influence, celebrity, and political opportunism.