This is Linda McMahon: Trump's latest cabinet pick joins the list of appointees facing sex scandal charges
Trump added another name to his wish list to form his new administration, former WWE CEO Linda McMahon. Like other picks, she has skeletons in the closet.
Trump is staffing his new administration with loyalists, donors and many come from the world of entertainment. However, a common thread that seems to be appearing among some of Trump’s picks; accusations of sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, including with minors, or turning a blind eye to it.
That is allegedly the case with Linda McMahon, co-chair of the president-elect’s transition team and former Small Business Administration Administrator in Trump’s first term as president, who will become the future Secretary of the Department of Education under Trump if she is confirmed.
This is Linda McMahon: Trump’s latest cabinet pick joins the list of appointees facing sex scandal charges
Linda McMahon was first president and the CEO of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) which she co-founded with her husband, Vince McMahon. Under her leadership the company experienced explosive growth while transforming professional wrestling at the same time.
She resigned from the WWE in 2009 to go into politics, running for the US Senate seat for Connecticut. She failed to win election in 2010 and 2012 when she ran again.
Last month, a lawsuit was brought against the McMahons, WWE and TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, by five alleged victims of sexual abuse. They claim that ringside announcer Melvin Phillips Jr sexually exploited them, some were as young as 12 at the time. The suit claims that the “defendants were fully aware of the systemic and pervasive abuse and did nothing to prevent or stop it.”
They served as ‘ring boys’, or ringside assistants, to Phillips in the 1980s and 1990s. The allegations had been reported on by the New York Post in the 1990s. The ring boys’ lawsuit relies heavily on information that was gathered during a defamation case against the reporter of those allegations, Phil Mushnick.
Like that in 1993, the FBI investigated sexual harassment allegations against Phillips but none of the alleged victims were willing to come forward at the time. The plaintiffs brought the lawsuit in Baltimore, Maryland, where the state’s statute of limitations was repealed last year for filing lawsuits for child sex abuse.
Jessica Rosenberg, attorney for Vince McMahon told NBC News that “the negligence claims against Mr. McMahon that were asserted today rely on these same absurd, defamatory and utterly meritless statements by Mr. Mushnick.”
Laura Brevetti, Linda McMahon’s attorney, called the lawsuit “baseless” according to The Washington Post and said that it is “based upon thirty-plus-year-old allegations“ and ”filled with scurrilous lies, exaggerations, and misrepresentations.”
Linda McMahon has no experience as an educator
Trump’s longtime friend and major donor, Linda McMahon has another common trait that a number of his Cabinet picks have, a lack of relevant experience. Trump’s intended nominee for education secretary has no experience as an educator.
She was on the Connecticut Board of Education, appointed in January 2009 and approved by both chambers of the legislature. However, she resigned the following year the day after the Hartford Courant told her that it was going to publish a story on her giving erroneous information for the appointment.
She incorrectly claimed she had a bachelor’s degree in education on her candidate questionnaire the paper was going to write. She has a bachelor’s degree in French and a teaching certificate from East Carolina University. McMahon said the timing of her steeping down was unrelated.
Her job though may not be running the Department of Education, but instead tearing it down. Trump campaigned on getting rid of the department during his 2024 campaign. In his nomination announcement he said, “We will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will spearhead that effort.”
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