Overview:
Linda McMahon has been confirmed as the Secretary of Education by the Senate in a vote of 51-45, making her the choice for the top office.
The Republican-led Senate voted 51-45 on Monday to confirm former wrestling executive Linda McMahon as the nation’s next Secretary of Education. This would place her at the helm of a department that President Trump has criticized and pledged to dismantle.
This announcement follows last week’s announcement by staff members in the Department of Education, which is offering most of its employees a buyout of up to $25,000 to voluntarily resign or retire ahead of what officials describe as a “very significant” workforce reduction.
McMahon will simultaneously oversee the shrinking Education Department and advance Trump’s education agenda of dismantling the department. The president has already issued sweeping orders to eliminate diversity programs and transgender accommodations in schools while advocating for expanded school choice initiatives.
Unlike previous Secretaries of Education, Linda McMahon has minimal experience in public/private education. McMahon served briefly on Connecticut’s State Board of Education for approximately a year before leading the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for two years during Trump’s first term. She left the federal government in 2019 to chair the pro-Trump Super PAC America First Action and currently holds leadership positions at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a think tank composed of former Trump’s first White House team members.
In a statement released in November after her nomination, Trump applauded her efforts to expand, saying that she “will fight tirelessly to expand choice to every state in America and empower parents to make the best education decisions for their families.” McMahon’s confirmation hearing was rowdy at times, with senators grilling her about D.E.I. initiatives, federal funding, and the closing of the Department of Education.
Critics of her appointment have pointed to the overwhelming public support for keeping the Department of Education open. Supporters view her as cutting the excesses in the Department of Education and expanding more school choice for parents.
Before the vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., voiced his concern with McMahon. “Every single Senate Democrat just voted against Linda McMahon’s nomination as Education Secretary. Americans believe in public education. They don’t want to see education funding slashed to give a tax break to Trump’s billionaires’ club. Democrats will not stop fighting for our kids’ education.”
McMahon’s tenure at WWE has also raised concerns. A 2024 lawsuit alleged that she and her husband, Vince McMahon, ignored sexual abuse claims involving the company’s executives. As Education Secretary, McMahon would oversee Title IX enforcement, which addresses sexual misconduct in education programs.
Created by Congress in 1979, the Department of Education is one of the smallest federal agencies. It is primarily responsible for managing federal funding for K-12 schools, including Title I, which supports students in low-income communities, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which serves students with disabilities.
