JUST IN: Final Trump Nominee Confirmed
Linda McMahon, co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and former Administrator of the Small Business Administration, has been confirmed by the Senate as the 13th U.S. Secretary of Education. The confirmation vote, held on Monday, concluded with a 51-45 tally along party lines.
President Donald Trump has tasked McMahon with a dual mandate: to reduce federal involvement in education and to eliminate what he describes as left-wing influences in schools. During her confirmation hearing in February, McMahon discussed the possibility of restructuring or even closing the Department of Education.
She also called for using the department’s authority to combat antisemitism in higher education and to restrict transgender women from participating in female athletics and using associated facilities. The Department of Education has already experienced significant changes under the Trump administration.
In her first remarks as secretary, McMahon made it clear she intends to follow through on Trump’s goal of reducing federal influence in education. “When I took the oath of office as Secretary of Education, I accepted responsibility for supporting over 100 million American children and college students,” McMahon said in a statement.
“President Trump nominated me to take the lead on one of his most momentous campaign promises: to send education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children.”
It’s an honor to serve as the 13th Secretary of Education under President Trump.
@POTUS pledged to make U.S. education the best in the world, return education to the states, and free students frombureaucracy through school choice.I intend to make good on those promises. pic.twitter.com/KgZ6K7IuQB
— Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) March 3, 2025
She outlined a sweeping overhaul, saying that “education ought not to be corrupted by political ideologies, special interests, and unjust discrimination.” McMahon pointed to Trump’s executive orders targeting critical race theory, gender ideology, and DEI initiatives in education as foundational to her mission.
“The Department of Education’s role in this new era of accountability is to restore the rightful role of state oversight in education and to end the overreach from Washington,” she said.
McMahon also addressed concerns about the department’s future, following speculation that Trump could seek to eliminate it altogether. “The Department of Education is not working as intended,” she wrote, citing poor student outcomes and bureaucratic inefficiencies. “Since its establishment in 1980, taxpayers have entrusted the department with over $1 trillion, yet student outcomes have consistently languished.”
“Parents are the primary decision-makers in their children’s education,” McMahon continued. “Removing red tape and bureaucratic barriers will empower parents to make the best educational choices for their children. Teachers, too, will benefit from less micromanagement in the classroom—enabling them to get back to basics.”
The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, has implemented cuts to the agency’s research division and eliminated grants to promote liberal ideology. Additionally, the Office for Civil Rights has initiated investigations into practices such as the implementation of all-gender bathrooms in schools and has established a tip line for reporting DEI efforts.
While President Trump has expressed a desire to abolish the Department of Education, McMahon acknowledged that such an action would require congressional approval. She stated that the goal is to return educational control to the states rather than defund essential programs. McMahon’s appointment has faced criticism from Democrats, who argue that the department plays a crucial role in supporting disadvantaged students and ensuring civil rights protections.
Prior to her confirmation, McMahon served as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term and has been a financial backer of his presidential campaigns. Her professional experience in education includes earning a teaching credential, student-teaching decades ago, and serving briefly on the Connecticut State Board of Education beginning in 2009.