US President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Thursday to move forward with his plan to shut down the Department of Education, bringing Linda McMahon’s tenure as Secretary of Education to an abrupt end.
McMahon is tasked with overseeing the department’s dissolution and is responsible for ensuring a smooth transition of educational oversight back to individual states. However, the closure requires Congressional approval, making the future of both the department and McMahon’s tenure uncertain.
McMahon, who was confirmed earlier this year, has already embraced the department’s so-called “final mission.”
In a speech, she outlined the administration’s goal to return control of education to the states, a longstanding priority for Trump.
“The department of education’s role in this new era of accountability is to restore the rightful role of state oversight in education and to end the overreach from Washington,” she said.
“This restoration will profoundly impact staff, budgets, and agency operations here at the Department. In coming months, we will partner with Congress and other federal agencies to determine the best path forward to fulfill the expectations of the President and the American people,” quoted by People.
Once the department is officially dissolved, McMahon’s position as secretary of education would be eliminated, effectively ending her tenure in that role.
The former WWE executive and Trump ally had made it clear that she sees this as a historic opportunity. Calling it a “last chance to restore the culture of liberty and excellence that made American education great,” McMahon signaled that she is fully on board with Trump’s vision of dismantling the federal department she was brought in to lead.
Trump first announced McMahon’s nomination for the role on November 19, 2024, praising her as an “incredible” leader.
She had previously served as head of the small business administration during his first term and co-chaired his transition team.
The logistics of shutting down a federal department are complex. While McMahon has already started restructuring efforts, the department is awaiting key transition documents to move forward.
Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, chair of the senate HELP committee, said that McMahon’s confirmation hearing was delayed due to missing paperwork from the transition team. “It really depends on us getting paperwork,” Cassidy said. “Right now the hold seems to be on their side.”
McMahon’s nomination is part of a broader shakeup in Trump’s cabinet, which also includes TV personality Dr Mehmet Oz as administrator of the centers for medicare and medicaid services and financier Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary.
Throughout her career, McMahon has championed parental involvement in education and local decision-making. Like others in Trump’s camp, she opposes critical race theory and “radical gender ideology” in schools. Her personal experience includes serving as a Connecticut State Board of Education member and raising children who attended both public and private schools.
Trump has long been a vocal critic of the department of education, calling it “ineffective” and accusing federal employees of pushing ideological agendas on students.
With Trump determined to follow through on his plans, McMahon’s time in Washington may be short-lived. But for now, she remains at the helm, steering the department of education toward what could be its final chapter.
