★ Government Action
Senate confirms WWE co-founder McMahon as Education Secretary
Donor Influence and AccessTrump Cabinet
Filed March 2025
★ The Brief
What happened
On March 3, 2025, the Senate confirmed McMahon, who had led the America First Policy Institute and served as SBA administrator in Trump's first term, by a 51-45 vote.
Who enabled it
Who benefits
Deal or steal?
McMahon gave $20 million to MAGA Inc. during the 2024 cycle and co-chaired Trump's transition team that selected cabinet picks.
On March 3, 2025, the Senate confirmed Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education by a 51-45 vote. McMahon, co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment with her husband Vince McMahon, had served as Small Business Administration administrator during Trump's first term and chaired the America First Policy Institute, the Trump-aligned think tank that incubated personnel and policy for the second term. During the 2024 cycle she gave $20 million to Make America Great Again Inc., one of the super PAC's largest individual donations. She co-chaired Trump's 2024 transition team. Trump announced the nomination on November 19, 2024.
Actors
Who pushed it · 1Who initiated, paid, or pushed the action.
Donald TrumpAnnounced McMahon's nomination for Education Secretary on November 19, 2024.
Beneficiaries
Who gained · 1Who stood to gain.
- Linda McMahon
Confirmed as Secretary of Education by 51-45 Senate vote on March 3, 2025. WWE co-founder; former Small Business Administration administrator under Trump 1.0; chair of the America First Policy Institute; gave $20 million to MAGA Inc. during the 2024 cycle; co-chaired the 2024 Trump transition team.
Linda McMahon has paid into Trump’s orbit:
Further reading
- ★ Government ActionFebruary 2025Senate confirms top MAGA donor Lutnick as Commerce Secretary
- ★ Government ActionJanuary 2025Senate confirms hedge fund founder Bessent as Treasury Secretary
- ★ Government ActionMay 2025Trump commutes donor Imaad Zuberi's foreign-lobbying sentence
- ★ Government ActionApril 2025Trump pardons Paul Walczak weeks after mother's $1M Mar-a-Lago dinner
- ★ Private ActionApril 2025Elizabeth Fago attends $1M MAGA Inc. dinner before son's pardon
- ★ Government ActionMarch 2025Senate confirms Trump's personal lawyer Blanche as Deputy AG