She came ready to throw down.
Education Secretary nominee Linda McMahon faced hecklers who invoked her World Wrestling Entertainment days and tough questions about her plans to abolish the department as she entered the political arena Thursday for a Senate confirmation hearing.
“Can you hear what Linda McMahon is cooking? It’s a world without IDEA! [Individuals with Disabilities Education Act],” one demonstrator fumed as the former WWE co-founder began her opening remarks.
That was a reference to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s catchphrase during his WWE run, when he’d ask audiences, “Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?” Capitol Police was forced to yank that disruptor out of the room.
McMahon, 76, who previously led the Small Business Administration during the first Trump administration, has called for shifting IDEA under the Department of Health and Human Services amid her goal of eliminating the Department of Education.
During a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) hearing, lawmakers peppered her with questions about the future of the department given both her and President Trump’s desire to see it abolished.
Despite rumors of the Trump administration eyeing executive actions or other avenues to eliminate the department, McMahon clarified that she believes Congress would have to support it.
“We’d like to make sure that we are presenting a plan that I think our senators could get on board with, and our Congress could get on board with, that would have a better functioning Department of Education,” McMahon explained, adding that eliminating it “certainly does require congressional action.”
She vowed to preserve certain key programs such as Title I funding for low-income institutions, Pell Grants and Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
Trump, 78, has called the Department of Education a “con job” and said that his goal is for McMahon “to put herself out of a job.”
Multiple senators asked McMahon about the impact of eliminating the Department of Education. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), for example, asked about her state’s TRIO programs, which support students with disadvantaged backgrounds.
“If I am confirmed to be able to get in and assess programs, how they can have the best oversight possible, how we can really take the bureaucracy out of education,” McMahon replied.
Looming large over the hearing were the steps that Trump and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) boss Elon Musk have already taken to pare down the Department of Education.
DOGE has outlined at least $1 billion worth of supposed cuts to the department already and scores of employees have been terminated. This includes about $900 million in clawback to the department’s office that measures student progress across the country.
McMahon downplayed DOGE’s involvement as merely an “audit” and suggested that under her watch, “we will certainly expend those dollars that Congress has passed.”
She also pledged to comply with Trump’s executive orders intended to protect women’s sports from transgender competitors, crack down on antisemitism across campuses and scrap diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) harped on the DEI executive orders and grilled McMahon about whether they would preclude schools from teaching African American history and celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.
“I’m not quite certain,” McMahon admitted when pressed about the limits of the DEI rules. “I’d like to look into it further.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) cautioned that there are laws on the books restricting federal interference in school curriculum.
“You may be in a situation where, as secretary, you may not condition the award of a grant on a school agreeing not to teach DEI subjects,” Murkowski mused.
”You may be in a position where you are not able to prohibit teachers from discussing LGBTQ issues with students.”
As has been typical with many of Trump’s nominees, Democrats sought to drill down on the extent to which McMahon would be willing to stand up to the president at times.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) got McMahon to agree that colleges and universities that don’t take action against anti-semitism should “face defunding.” During that question, another protester invoked a WWE throwback.
“Linda McMahon, you’re fired!” the heckler shouted before getting dragged out of the hearing room.
That was a nod to her husband’s penchant for firing individuals on TV.
Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) grew increasingly frustrated with some of the protesters who interrupted McMahon’s confirmation hearing.
“The rudeness of people who are trying to squelch others as they’re trying to communicate in an incredibly public forum is just amazing, amazingly bad,” Cassidy fumed at one point.
McMahon is one of the last remaining Trump cabinet picks in need of a Senate confirmation. Thus far, 16 of his 22 announced picks have been confirmed.
