Linda McMahon, former wrestling executive, steps into the Senate today, not to lay out a bold new vision for America’s education system, but to oversee its potential demise. Handpicked by President Trump for the role of secretary, Department of Education (DoE), McMahon’s confirmation hearing isn’t about shaping policy—it’s about preparing for an institutional takedown.
If McMahon becomes the secretary, she wouldn’t be leading the education department in the traditional sense. Instead, her role would be to take down the very agency she’s meant to run. It’s an unusual appointment, but then again, this administration has never been one for convention.
Linda McMahon: A secretary without a department
Trump has never been coy about his disdain for the DoE. Citing America’s slipping global education rankings, he declared that the institution is failing students while draining taxpayer funds. “We spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked No. 40,” he lamented. His solution? Pull the plug.
Under a plan currently under consideration at the White House, McMahon’s job won’t be to lead the Department of Education—it’ll be to shrink it into oblivion. Her mission? Downsize, defund, and, if all goes well, make sure it ceases to exist entirely. It’s a tall order, but if there’s anyone who understands high-stakes drama and staged takedowns, it’s a former pro-wrestling executive.
If confirmed, McMahon won’t just be the secretary of education—she’ll be the last one standing. The first education chief whose real achievement will be making sure her own job disappears. Talk about working yourself out of a position!
The Senate hearing: A political wrestling match
Today’s Senate hearing is expected to be anything but dull. Democrats, led by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim, have already signaled their intent to grill McMahon on her willingness to execute Trump’s radical plan. Their letter to her posed pointed questions: Will she stand by the agency’s student loan programs? What about its enforcement of civil rights in education?
According to an AP report, Republicans, on the other hand, are ready to tout McMahon’s business acumen as precisely what’s needed to “fix” American education. Senator Bill Cassidy has praised her commitment to “returning power to parents,” a phrase that has become shorthand for dismantling federal oversight.
Yet, for all the partisan brawling expected today, one question looms large: Is McMahon here to reform, or simply to referee the final round?
Well, McMahon will have to navigate mounting pressure from advocacy groups, teachers’ unions, and a wary public.
Already, the National Education Association has called on the Senate to reject her nomination, warning that the closure of the DoE could devastate public education. Civil rights advocates, too, have raised concerns about what the loss of federal oversight would mean for marginalized students.
But for Trump and his supporters, this is a long-overdue correction to federal overreach. To them, McMahon is a belligerent figure, ready to slay what they see as a bloated bureaucracy.
Whether McMahon’s confirmation will be the beginning of the end for the Department of Education remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Today’s hearing is no mere formality, it’s the opening scene of what promises to be an educational (w)reckoning.
From WWE to DoE: McMahon is unconventional pick
Unlike past education secretaries, McMahon’s experience in the field is slim. Her resume includes a stint on Connecticut’s Board of Education and a long-running role as a trustee at Sacred Heart University. However, she is far better known for her tenure as CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where she built an empire on carefully scripted conflicts.
Her political career has been similarly unconventional. After two failed Senate runs in Connecticut, McMahon was tapped by Trump to lead the Small Business Administration, a role in which she focused on deregulation and pro-business policies. Her history of multimillion-dollar donations to Trump’s campaigns likely helped cement her as a trusted ally, one the president now entrusts with carrying out one of his most ambitious promises.
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