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What does your child’s education and the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) have in common?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing!
Which is why it’s so ludicrous that Donald Trump has nominated Linda McMahon, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) co-founder, as our next Secretary of Education.
Linda McMahon may have experience faking it in the wrestling ring, but she has zero experience making decisions about K-12 education, student loans, IEPs and special education, preschool, teachers, or anything remotely relevant to running the Department of Education.
America’s moms want all our children to be educated in excellent, inclusive schools. Our schools must cultivate learning for children of all abilities, welcome every student, teach accurate history, and prepare each child to succeed. Sadly, President-Elect Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S Department of Education, Linda McMahon, the former WWE CEO, is wholly unqualified to support those goals
Schools aren’t wrestling arenas. Instead of using schools to center children in political wrestling matches, the job of the U.S Secretary of Education is to foster learning, support educators, and create the foundation of our future workforce. Politics have no place in our taxpayer-funded academic institutions, which are critical to our nation’s success.
The Department of Education oversees everything from K-12 school funding to federal student aid to special education and IDEA programs focused on improving educational and developmental outcomes for children with disabilities. The Secretary of Education oversees a nearly $82 billion budget and 4,400 employees–the smallest staff of the Cabinet agencies. Yet, Trump and his cronies want to put McMahon in charge of fundamentally dismantling the Department of Education and slashing funding. This would hurt teachers, students (especially students with disabilities and learning differences who rely on IEPs and associated services), families (especially those who utilize early intervention for babies and toddlers and developmental preschool), and the future American economy. [1] Clearly Trump knows you don’t need someone competent overseeing a Department you plan on running into the ground.
What Linda McMahon lacks in education experience she more than makes up for in blind-loyalty to Donald Trump, tens of millions of dollars donated to Trump’s campaigns, and scandals. [2] In fact, McMahon is currently being sued for knowingly enabling the sexual exploitation of young boys by WWE employees. [3] While she may fit right in with the other sexual scandal-ridden Trump nominees, she has no business making any decisions that relate to the education and well-being of our children.
Generally, states run their own education departments and school systems and 90% of all funding for education comes from state and local governments. But the Department of Education still holds a critical role—especially when it comes to funding programs that students (particularly low-income and students with disabilities) need to succeed. [4]
The President’s Cabinet should be a place for serious people who want to do serious work to help our students and educators. Instead, Trump wants to put in charge a woman who is used to faking moves in the wrestling ring and spends her free time covering up for child predators.
Moms don’t want this! Teachers don’t want this! And students can’t have this!
Tell the U.S. Senate to reject Linda McMahon’s nomination for Education Secretary now!
The President is allowed to nominate whoever he wants to serve in his Cabinet. But it is the job of the U.S. Senate to research, question, and confirm or reject those nominees. We need the U.S. Senate to take their role in this process seriously and recognize that Linda McMahon is nowhere qualified to run our nation’s education system.
We’ve already succeeded in defeating one of Trump’s nominees when Matt Gaetz was forced to withdraw his nomination for Secretary of the Department of Justice. We all need to pitch in to provide the same amount of pressure so Linda McMahon’s nomination is roadblocked as well. After you sign our petition, forward this email to your friends and family so they can sign on as well and post the link to social media.
Thank you for using your voice to speak out on behalf of our students and educators!
-Elyssa, Ruth, Jenny, Donna, Kristin, and the whole MomsRising.org & MamásConPoder Team
P.S. Trump wants to slash funding for the Department of Education, which would lead to massive cuts to programs like Title I schools, federal student loans, and programs for students with disabilities and IEPs. We want to know how this could impact you and your family. Share your story here.
References:
[1] “Where does Linda McMahon, Trump’s education nominee, stand on key issues?” USA Today, December 2, 2024.
[2] “Who is Linda McMahon? Trump donor; WWE co-founder is education secretary pick.” Washington Post, November 20, 2024.
[3] “Linda McMahon, Trump’s Education pick, was sued for allegedly enabling sexual abuse of children.” CNN, November 21, 2024.
[4] “Linda McMahon, Trump’s Education Secretary Pick, Would Allow Him to Destroy Public Schools.” Teen Vogue, December 3, 2024.
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