In the United States: A star surgeon in a key position in health, the ex-boss of wrestling in Education

Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he would appoint Mehmet Oz, a former TV star surgeon, to lead the enormous American public health insurance program. “The United States is plunged into a public health crisis and there is no doctor more qualified than Dr. Oz to restore America to health,” the president-elect said in a statement.

“It will also reduce waste and fraud at our nation’s most expensive government agency,” Trump promised. This 64-year-old surgeon is known for being a small screen star, who failed to enter politics.

Dubbed in the 2000s by the popess of American television, Oprah Winfrey, who invited him as an expert on her set, he had his own show for more than ten years, “Dr. Oz Show,” which made him a celebrity. This son of Turkish immigrants even has his star on the famous “Walk of Fame” in Hollywood.

But his health recommendations, sometimes punctuated with qualifiers like “magic” or “miracle”, have earned him criticism from colleagues, and he has also been accused of having promoted ineffective or potentially dangerous treatments or food supplements, particularly on the Covid.

Candidate dubbed by Donald Trump in a highly scrutinized election in Pennsylvania, he failed to be elected to the US Senate in 2022. His appointment, like those of other television stars to key positions – the person designated by Donald Trump for running the Pentagon is a former news anchor Fox News – was criticized by the Democratic camp. “We are becoming the first reality TV show in the world with nuclear weapons,” mocked elected official Jim Himes.

Trump also named on Tuesday the former boss of the wrestling federation WWE, Linda McMahon, minister of Education, a federal institution that the president-elect promised to undermine, against a backdrop of strong divisions in the United States between progressives and conservatives.

“As Secretary of Education, Linda will fight tirelessly” to bring more educational freedom to every U.S. state and “empower parents to make the best education decisions for their families,” Donald Trump said in a statement. “We will BRING EDUCATION BACK TO THE STATES and Linda will spearhead this effort,” Donald Trump promised.

The subject of education particularly divides American states between those led by Democrats and those held by the most conservatives, the latter fiercely opposing issues related to the rights of women, minorities or even LGBT+ communities.

A 76-year-old businesswoman, Linda McMahon was between 2017 and 2019 minister responsible for Small Business during the Republican’s first term. She is part of his bodyguard, being one of the co-leaders, with billionaire Howard Lutnick, of the power transition team. He was named Commerce Secretary on Monday.

Not hesitating to speak of Donald Trump as “a friend”, Linda McMahon is a major donor to the Republican Party, providing financial support to Donald Trump’s candidacy since 2016, first for his primary and then in the race at the White House.

She is married to Vince McMahon, the heir to WWE, a wrestling empire founded in the 1950s. Linda McMahon became president in 1993 and general manager in 1997, before resigning in 2009 to try her luck in politics . Her husband remained at the head of the company until last January, finally being forced to resign after a former employee filed a complaint against him for sexual assault.

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