“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.
Former Minister of Small Business
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 businesses 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.
Dr Oz dubbed by Oprah Winfrey
Donald Trump also announced 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. “It will also reduce waste and fraud at our nation's most expensive government agency,” Trump promised.
Mehmet Oz
RYAN COLLERD / AFP
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, the “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-19.
