President-elect Donald Trump's tapping of billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Department of Education has been criticized by educators.
Critics see the nomination as the latest instance of Trump selecting a loyalist to serve in his incoming administration over someone with more relevant experience.
"By selecting Linda McMahon, Donald Trump is showing that he could not care less about our students' futures," Becky Pringle, the president of the National Education Association, said in a statement. She added, "McMahon's only mission is to eliminate the Department of Education and take away taxpayer dollars from public schools."
Shaun Harper, a professor of education, public policy and business at the University of Southern California, told the Los Angeles Times: "America's schoolchildren and college students deserved an Education Secretary who brings deep education experience to the role.
"Instead, they got a former World Wrestling Entertainment executive. This is embarrassing and a slap in the face to our nation's talented educators."
In his announcement, Trump said McMahon would 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."
McMahon has minimal experience in education, having served for one year on the Connecticut Board of Education starting in 2009, the Associated Press reported. She also spent years on the board of Sacred Heart University, a Catholic school in Connecticut.
Her background in business is more extensive. McMahon and her husband, Vince McMahon, founded the company now known as World Wrestling Entertainment in 1980, and she served as the company's president and then its chief executive until 2009, when she stepped down to enter politics.
McMahon ran unsuccessfully twice as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. Her husband stepped down from his role as CEO of WWE amid an investigation into allegations of sex trafficking, and a lawsuit filed last month accuses WWE's founders of fostering a culture of sexual abuse within the organization.
McMahon, who led the Small Business Administration during Trump's first term, later chaired the board of the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-connected think tank. She was also a co-chair of Trump's transition team.
In his statement, the president-elect touted McMahon's advocacy for school choice, saying, "Linda will fight tirelessly to expand 'Choice' to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best Education decisions for their families."
He also said she would spearhead efforts to "send Education BACK TO THE STATES," possibly referring to his pledge to dismantle the Department of Education.
Newsweek contacted a Trump spokesperson for comment via email outside normal working hours.
Pringle said in her response to the announcement: "During his first term, Donald Trump appointed Betsy DeVos to undermine and ultimately privatize public schools through vouchers.
"Now, he and Linda McMahon are back at it with their extreme Project 2025 proposal to eliminate the Department of Education, steal resources for our most vulnerable students, increase class sizes, cut job training programs, make higher education more expensive and out of reach for middle class families, take away special education services for disabled students, and put student civil rights protections at risk."
She added: "The Senate must stand up for our students and reject Donald Trump's unqualified nominee, Linda McMahon. Our students and our nation deserve so much better than Betsy DeVos 2.0."
Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, said that while little is known about McMahon's views, the union would "try to work with anyone who puts the aspirations of our students, families and communities first."
"While we expect that we will disagree with Linda McMahon on many issues, our devotion to kids requires us to work together on policies that can improve the lives of students, their families, their educators and their communities," she said in a statement.
Newsweek contacted Pringle, Harper and Weingarten for comment via email outside normal working hours.
While McMahon's nomination was met with criticism from some educators, other individuals welcomed Trump's selection as a win for parental rights.
"Congratulations @Linda_McMahon on being named Secretary of Education!" Tiffany Justice, a co-founder of the parental rights group Moms for Liberty, wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"Let's put parents back in the drivers seat by supporting Linda as she works for a future where education is directed by parents and is focused on equipping students for success in the real world," she added.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, called McMahon "a proven leader who has delivered school choice for families across the nation."
He wrote on X, "As Secretary of Education, she'll work with @realDonaldTrump to empower parents with education freedom & send education back to the states so that every child can thrive."
English (US) ·