Trump picks Linda McMahon for education secretary

President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he had selected his transition co-chair Linda McMahon to serve as education secretary.

In a statement, Mr. Trump described Mrs. McMahon as “a fierce advocate for parents’ rights” and said she will spearhead his administration’s effort to return education back to the states. 

“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,” Mr. Trump said. 

Mrs. McMahon is the former CEO of the WWE, which she co-founded with her husband Vince McMahon. As head of the WWE, she helped oversee its transformation from a small wrestling entertainment company into a publicly traded media empire. She stepped down as CEO in 2009.

She was also the chairwoman of the board at the America First Policy Institute and America First Works, two conservative advocacy groups, where she worked to achieve universal choice in 12 states. 

Mrs. McMahon also served two years on the Connecticut Board of Education, where she was one of 15 members overseeing public education in the state and was a member of the board of trustees at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield Connecticut. 

During Mr. Trump’s first term, she served as administrator of the Small Business Administration. She resigned in 2019 to become chair of America First Action. 

Earlier Tuesday, Mr. Trump named his other transition co-chair, Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick, to lead the Commerce Department. 

Mrs. McMahon twice unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in Connecticut, losing in 2010 and 2012. Those campaigns were both self-funded and cost a combined $98.8 million, according to data from Open Secrets, which tracks campaign financing.