Linda McMahon is on a mission to reshape the Education Department, but her ultimate goal is to help restore a sense of ‘patriotism’ in schools. As the U.S. Secretary of Education, she finds herself in a pivotal role: President Donald Trump has tasked her with being the last person to oversee an agency he has long aimed to dismantle.
While McMahon has been actively implementing the president’s agenda—cutting jobs and reallocating essential functions of the Department of Education to other governmental sectors—she is also working to infuse public education with a MAGA-inspired ethos, as directed by Trump.
Under her leadership, the department is taking steps to safeguard prayer in public schools and is linking funding to educational programs that emphasize a “patriotic” curriculum. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to partner with conservative organizations, such as Turning Point USA and the America First Policy Institute, to promote “civic education” across the nation. This includes a nationwide tour, lectures, and summits for educators, all aimed at gearing up for the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary next year.
A Department of Education employee, who has served under four previous secretaries, remarked, "It’s a strange situation to be in—working to eliminate this agency while simultaneously using its powers to achieve various cultural objectives." This sentiment reflects the confusion many feel as the agency attempts to balance its dismantling with the pursuit of specific goals.
Several individuals who have worked with McMahon have expressed that she often appears to be a mere figurehead, executing Trump’s orders with little genuine interest in educational matters. According to some sources, she is seldom seen at the department's headquarters in Washington, D.C. Those who spoke to CNN requested anonymity due to concerns about potential repercussions.
Jon Valant, director of the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution, pointed out the contradiction in the Trump administration’s stance: while it advocates for dismantling the Department of Education and returning control to the states, it simultaneously employs the agency aggressively to achieve various cultural objectives.
McMahon, who declined to comment for CNN, has acknowledged that she often finds herself surprised by the directives she receives. "He’s always a step ahead of everyone else in what he’s thinking," she said of Trump during a recent event in Michigan. "You could be in a meeting with him, and he’ll announce something to the press that you’re just learning about at the same time."
Historically, education secretaries have launched significant initiatives that define their tenures. For instance, Arne Duncan was known for Race to the Top, Betsy DeVos for advocating school choice, and Margaret Spellings for the No Child Left Behind Act. However, McMahon does not come to this role with a robust background in education. While she briefly served on the Connecticut school board, she is more widely recognized for her long tenure leading World Wrestling Entertainment alongside her husband, Vince McMahon. During Trump’s first term, she held the position of Small Business Administrator.
Critics, both within and outside the Education Department, argue that McMahon’s primary focus has been to fulfill Trump’s wishes. "I can’t pinpoint her guiding principle; she seems more like someone who takes direction rather than sets it," one agency employee shared with CNN. This individual humorously noted that the only times they’ve seen McMahon discuss her agency were during news appearances or congressional testimonies.
One rare attempt she made to engage with staff—a casual ice cream social in August—was thwarted by a suspicious package that led to a lockdown of the building, preventing her from attending. This event has not been rescheduled, according to sources.
Another long-serving employee expressed doubts about McMahon’s grasp of the issues at hand, referencing a moment during her congressional testimony when she confused AI (Artificial Intelligence) with A1 sauce, a popular steak condiment.
In response to internal criticism, both the White House and the Education Department defended McMahon, highlighting what they consider her key achievements in advancing Trump’s agenda. A White House spokesperson stated, "Secretary McMahon is boldly leading President Trump’s mission to dismantle the ineffective Department of Education and hold elite universities accountable for allowing discrimination and harassment to persist on their campuses."
The spokesperson further emphasized that McMahon is successfully returning educational authority to the states, restoring fairness, merit, and safety in schools, while prioritizing the academic needs of students.
The Department of Education pointed to McMahon’s support for school choice, the resumption of collections on defaulted federal student loans after a five-year pause, and efforts to combat antisemitism as notable accomplishments. The department has also leveraged funding to support the president’s initiatives, threatening financial repercussions against colleges and universities for alleged antisemitic harassment and discrimination on their campuses.
Earlier this month, following Trump’s claims that students were being "indoctrinated with anti-religious propaganda" in schools, he announced that the Department of Education would issue new guidelines regarding school prayer. An agency spokesperson conveyed that they are eager to support Trump’s vision of promoting religious freedom in schools nationwide.
While funding threats have been utilized in K-12 education, they have been less severe compared to the higher education sector, where some universities have faced the loss of hundreds of millions in funding. The department is also focusing on encouraging the use of AI in education—an initiative Trump has prioritized through executive orders—along with workforce readiness and school choice as key areas for grant-making decisions in K-12 education.
In alignment with the president’s goal of fostering “patriotism” in education, the Department of Education recently announced its intention to promote a civic education that teaches American history, values, and geography in an unbiased manner as part of its grant allocation process for schools.
These initiatives have sparked discontent among some within the agency. Federal law prohibits the government from exerting control over public school curricula; however, as one long-serving employee noted, "They have no right to dictate curriculum, yet they are effectively doing so by holding funding hostage."
Jonathan Zimmerman, an education professor at the University of Pennsylvania, highlighted the irony in McMahon’s actions. "It raises the question of why the same government that is dismantling the Education Department—arguing that the federal government should not interfere in education—is simultaneously creating curricula for schools."
The Department of Education, however, disputes this interpretation of its objectives. "Local schools and communities—not bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.—should determine how to educate their children and allocate their resources," Savannah Newhouse, a spokesperson for the Department of Education, told CNN. "The Trump Administration is empowering them to do just that by expanding school choice, reducing unnecessary requirements, and ultimately returning education to the states."
In addition to utilizing the department’s grant funding, there is an independent initiative aimed at enhancing civic education in anticipation of America’s 250th birthday in 2026—an area that has captured the president’s keen interest. This newly announced project is described as a collaboration between the Department of Education and approximately 40 external conservative organizations, spearheaded by the America First Policy Institute, a think tank aligned with Trump. The initiative is dedicated to renewing patriotism, enhancing civic knowledge, and promoting a shared understanding of America’s founding principles in schools nationwide.
According to Erika Donalds, co-chair of the initiative at AFPI, the project is still in its early stages but aims to produce "results in policies, curriculum, and training" for educators and grant decision-makers that will elevate civic education to a level of importance comparable to reading and math. Donalds characterized the initiative as "more of an open dialogue than a prescriptive approach to curriculum development," with the Department of Education taking the lead in creating content and resources for teacher training. She denied that it would dictate curricula.
However, the organizations currently involved in this dialogue share a clear perspective. Turning Point USA states that its educational arm is "dedicated to RECLAIMING the education of our children, REVIVING virtuous education focused on truth, goodness, and beauty, and RESTORING God as the foundation of education." Hillsdale College, a liberal arts Christian institution, offers courses designed to provide insights into the nature of God and humanity, while PragerU, a conservative educational publisher, aims to counteract "the dominant left-wing ideology in culture, media, and education" through its materials.
Donalds, who has recently accompanied McMahon on a 50-state tour, praised the secretary for her business-like approach to the role. "I’ve observed her to be fully committed to this mission and the responsibility she’s been given to dismantle the Department of Education while simultaneously highlighting the positive developments occurring in education," she stated.
Rick Hess, director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning think tank, remarked, "What the Department of Education is today is fundamentally different from what it was just a year ago, and that’s a remarkable statement to make about a federal entity that has been around for half a century."
"Somehow, they’ve managed to implement the most significant changes in fifty years to the department while receiving remarkably little backlash directed at the secretary."
But here's where it gets controversial: Is it truly appropriate for a government that seeks to minimize its role in education to simultaneously dictate what should be taught in schools? What do you think? Are these initiatives a necessary step towards a more patriotic education, or do they represent an overreach of government influence? Share your thoughts in the comments!
