President-elect Donald Trump has named former WWE CEO Linda McMahon as the secretary of the Department of Education -- an agency he vowed to abolish -- for his upcoming cabinet on Tuesday (November 19).
McMahon, 76, the wife of former WWE chairman Vince McMahon, previously served as the head of the Small Business Administration during Trump's first administration.
“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,” Trump wrote in his announcement, which was shared on his Truth Social account.
McMahon will be tasked with giving states a larger role in education policy and pursue expansion of school choice nationwide, according to Trump.
“Linda will fight tirelessly to expand ‘Choice’ to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best Education decisions for their families,” Trump said, claiming McMahon was a “fierce advocate for Parents’ Rights” while serving as the chairwoman of the America First Policy Institute think tank.
“We will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and LINDA will spear head that effort,” he added.
McMahon, who left WWE in 2009 for the first of two unsuccessfully U.S. Senate campaigns, worked on the Connecticut Board of Education for two years and spent more than 16 years as a trustee at Sacred Heart University.