Linda McMahon says she would downsize Education Department if confirmed

Linda McMahon would downsize the U.S. Department of Education if confirmed, she told lawmakers at her confirmation hearing Thursday.

She argued that students and teachers would be better served with more localized control and not by bureaucrats in Washington D.C. She also said she would follow President Donald Trump’s directive to make the agency more efficient, such as moving the Office for Civil Rights to the Justice Department and disabilities support to the Department of Health and Human Services.

She stopped short of saying she would shut the department down, something Trump’s called for, arguing that takes an act of Congress.

“I will work with Congress to reorient the department to helping educators, not controlling them,” McMahon said, adding, “defunding is not the goal here,” Reuters reported.

McMahon is expected to by confirmed by the GOP-controlled U.S. Senate in a party-line vote later this month.

McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term. The former-World Wrestling Entertainment’s CEO played a big role in Trump’s re-election campaign and served as chairwoman of the America First Action political action committee.

“McMahon also said her priorities as education secretary would be to expand school choice and skills-based learning, give local schools and parents more decision-making power, and to protect students from discrimination and harassment,” K-12 Dive reported.

During the hearing, she pledged to empower presidents to protect students from violent campus protests, and also said she would look into the backlog of antisemitism complaints lodged against universities.

Secretary of Education nominee Linda McMahon at her confirmation hearing Thursday pledged to work to protect students from violent campus mobs, adding she will dig into the backlog of antisemitism complaints against universities if she is confirmed. pic.twitter.com/aRpaXRR0UR

— The College Fix (@CollegeFix) February 13, 2025

At times the hearing was disrupted by protesters, such as when McMahon pledged to enforce Title IX by ensuring biological males do not have access to women’s private spaces.

WATCH: Protester forcibly removed by capitol police after erupting in anger as Secretary of Education nominee Linda McMahon at her confirmation hearing Thursday pledged to protect women and girls from men in their private spaces by enforcing Title IX pic.twitter.com/jUcYSW4ZAm

— The College Fix (@CollegeFix) February 13, 2025