5 things to know about Linda McMahon, Trump’s pick for Education secretary

President-elect Trump intends to nominate Linda McMahon, the head of the Small Business Administration (SBA) from his first term, to lead the Department of Education, which he has long threatened to dismantle.

McMahon, who could potentially be tasked with ending the department, will be put in charge of heading up changes to Title IX and determining how student debt is handled.

Here is what to know about the potential next Education secretary:

First repeat from Trump’s previous administration

McMahon is the first person Trump has nominated for a Cabinet secretary spot who also served in his previous administration. She was previously the head of the SBA from 2017 to 2019.

She stepped down from that role in 2019 to take a position on Trump’s reelection campaign at the time.

Shortly after resigning, McMahon was named chairwoman of a Super PAC called America First Action.

McMahon has stayed in Trump’s good graces while he was out of office and is in charge of co-leading the president-elect’s transition team.

McMahon was long part of the wrestling world

McMahon brings in a unique background as she was CEO of World Wresting Entertainment (WWE), co-founding the organization with her husband, Vince McMahon.

The endeavor started in 1980 with a small company called Titan Sports that transformed into a massive publicly traded corporation.

She resigned as CEO in 2009, but during her time with WWE it donated millions of dollars to the Donald J. Trump Foundation.

Trump himself has long maintained ties to the world of professional wrestling.

WWE did get involved in the education sector, with campaigns supporting arts education and encouraging young people to read with bookmarks and posters.

Little direct experience with education

McMahon has juggled many hats during her career but has spent little time in the education realm.

Her most direct experience was in Connecticut, where she served on the State Board of Education for a year in 2009 before stepping down to run for Senate.

When McMahon made it on the board, she was criticized for lack of experience in the area.

She also served as a member on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in 2004, with the school naming a building after her in 2012.

She most recently was the board chair of the America First Policy Institute, which touts policies such as eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion offices.

Named in sexual abuse lawsuit

In October, McMahon was named as a defendant in a lawsuit related to sexual abuse of young boys by a WWE ringside announcer.

The lawsuit said the company allowed “open, rampant abuse” of young boys by announcer Melvin Phillips Jr. in the 1980s and 1990s. It alleges Phillips told the young boys they would get to meet wrestling stars and lured them at venues and hotels rooms, NBC News reported.

The lawsuit says McMahon and her husband knew for a long time of the “peculiar and unnatural interest” the announcer had in young boys.

McMahon did fire Phillips for a few weeks before allegedly allowing him back on the condition he stayed away from the boys, but the suit alleges she knew he did not, according to NBC.

Vince McMahon has also faced his own allegations of sexual abuse and harassment.

Had been floated for Commerce secretary

McMahon was not typically one of the names floated to lead education under Trump.

Rumors swirled she might be nominated for Commerce secretary before Trump gave the position to Howard Lutnick. Lutnick was co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with McMahon, and a billionaire investor who has been on Wall Street for a long time.

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