Education secretary nominee Linda McMahon is the next Cabinet pick of President Trump’s to face a showdown with lawmakers — and the first he has told to “put yourself out of a job.”
McMahon, whose confirmation hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m. EST, will be questioned by senators just a week after Trump said he would like to use executive action to eliminate the Department of Education and amid media reports that he is preparing executive orders to weaken and reduce the federal agency and calling on Congress to finish it off.
While she’s also likely to face questions on her lack of education experience, a lingering lawsuit from her professional wrestling days and how she might implement executive orders on gender issues and school choice, McMahon’s hearing could be dominated by the future of the Education Department.
Republicans have voiced no objections to McMahon, so far giving her a clear path to confirmation, but Democrats and other opponents of the former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) executive have made clear their lines of attack ahead of the hearing.
“McMahon’s nomination is really concerning for us and for parents across the country, because what we have heard from parents is that they want a strong public education system for our kids. They want our kids to feel safe in schools, and they want schools to be fully funded, and Linda McMahon doesn’t really have a track record of being as an advocate for education,” said Ailen Arreaza, executive director of ParentsTogether.
Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to McMahon Tuesday with dozens of questions they want her to be prepared to answer on Thursday, including on ending the department, the student loan system and McMahon’s support of Project 2025.
The senators raised concerns that McMahon has little experience in education apart from a year on the Connecticut State Board of Education and multiple years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.
“You have a minimal track record on education issues and strikingly little experience pertaining to education policy,” the Democrats wrote.
“This lack of a public record means that the American people have not been afforded the opportunity to evaluate your views on topics related to the Education Secretary’s core responsibilities,” they added.
McMahon, who in Trump’s first administration served as the head of the Small Business Administration, was tapped by the president-elect back in November, a surprise pick for those in the education field.
Trump has told reporters he has spoken to McMahon about closing up the Department of Education and how he told her to “put yourself out of a job” if confirmed.
