Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) CEO Linda McMahon to lead the Department of Education, which he vowed to abolish.
“We will put education back in the United States, and Linda will lead that effort,” Trump said in a statement in which he described McMahon as a “fierce advocate for parental rights.”
McMahon is co-chairman of Trump’s transition team ahead of his return to the White House in January. Its task is to fill around 4,000 positions in the government.
As for McMahon’s experience in education, Trump cited his two years on the Connecticut Board of Education and 16 years on the board of trustees of Sacred Heart University, a private Catholic school.
During the campaign, Trump promised to eliminate the federal Department of Education when he returns to the White House.
“I say it all the time. I can’t wait to get back and do this. We’re going to end up eliminating the federal Department of Education,” he said at a rally in Wisconsin in September.
By nominating her, Trump highlighted her business experience helping WWE grow.