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It Looks Like A Familiar Face Will Be the Secretary of Education, As Trump Makes It Official

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  November 19, 2024 7:00 PM

Update:

On Tuesday night, after CNN reported that he was selected Linda McMahon for his Secretary of Education, President-elect Donald Trump made it official.

Such a statement particularly focused on McMahon's past experience, including her role as a co-chair for the Trump-Vance transition, team but also her support for school choice:

It is my great honor to announce that Linda McMahon, former Administrator of the Small Business Administration, will be the United States Secretary of Education.

For the past four years, as the Chair of the Board at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), Linda has been a fierce advocate for Parents’ Rights, working hard at both AFPI and America First Works (AFW) to achieve Universal School Choice in 12 States, giving children the opportunity to receive an excellent Education, regardless of zip code or income. As Secretary of Education, Linda will fight tirelessly to expand “Choice” to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best Education decisions for their families.

Linda served for two years on the Connecticut Board of Education, where she was one of fifteen members overseeing all Public Education in the State, including its Technical High School system. She also served as a Member of the Board of Trustees at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, for two stints totaling over 16 years. She is now doing an incredible job as Co-Chair of our Trump-Vance Transition Team. Linda will use her decades of Leadership experience, and deep understanding of both Education and Business, to empower the next Generation of American Students and Workers, and make America Number One in Education in the World. We will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will spearhead that effort.

The statement concludes in part by emphasizing sending education “BACK TO THE STATES,” in addition to emphasizing the importance of school choice, which is of course also key.

Original:

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President-elect Donald Trump could be close to announcing another key Cabinet pick for his administration. He has yet to formally select the nominee for Secretary of Education, though this is a particularly key role, as there's been chatter that it's time for the Department of Education to come to an end, especially given the lack of progress in our education system. In fact, America has slipped in world rankings since the department was established under the Carter administration. Trump could be that much closer to naming his pick, though, as CNN is reporting on Tuesday night that he'll nominate Linda McMahon for the role.

As the report mentioned:

Trump transition co-chair Linda McMahon is expected to be named as secretary of the Department of Education, four sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

The decision took shape after it became clear that McMahon would be passed over for Commerce secretary. President-elect Donald Trump named his other transition co-chair Howard Lutnick to lead the Commerce Department earlier Tuesday after the Cantor Fitzgerald CEO had thrown his name into the mix for Treasury secretary, sparking a battle with hedge fund manager Scott Bessent.

McMahon, as the report mentioned, is a familiar name when it comes to the Trump administration. During his first term she served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) from 2017-2019, a role was she was easily confirmed for, and then chaired the America First Action PAC. McMahon is also the board chair of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), as the CNN report mentioned. 

Previously, McMahon ran for the U.S. Senate seat out of Connecticut in 2010 and again in 2012, with CNN pointing out that she self-funded her campaigns. She and her husband, Vince McMahon, cofounded what would later become WWE. She had also served as the CEO. 

When it comes to the chatter that Trump will dismantle the Department of Education, Betsy DeVos, who served as his first Secretary of Education, reminded that the president needs to work with Congress to get that done. "The bureaucrats at the Department of Education aren't doing the job," she also said during her interview with Fox News from last week, however, as she also stressed the importance of school choice and empowering parents. 

Last week, Trump announced that he was tasking Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy with leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Both Musk and Ramaswamy have raised concerns with the Department of Education, including quite recently over social media.