(Washington) Donald Trump on Tuesday named the former boss of the wrestling federation World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Linda McMahon, secretary of the Department of Education, a federal institution that the president-elect promised to undermine, on background of strong divisions in the United States between progressives and conservatives.
Posted at 9:33 p.m.
Updated at 10:14 p.m.
Since his victory on November 5, the former president who will become president again on January 20 has multiplied the sometimes surprising appointments, drawing from among the most loyal within his close guard.
“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 return education to the states and Linda will spearhead this effort,” promised Donald Trump.
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 responsible for small businesses between 2017 and 2019 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 would become president in 1993 and general manager in 1997, before resigning in 2009 to try her luck in policy.
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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