Trump’s ed secretary nominee, dubbed ‘change agent,’ promises to tackle federal bureaucracy during hearing

President Donald Trump’s nominee for education secretary, Linda McMahon, promised she is ready to take on a “system in decline” and make American education “the best in the world.”

Facing senators during her confirmation hearing on Thursday, McMahon doubled down on her readiness to enact Trump’s school choice vision, which she said includes returning education to the states and freeing American students “from the education bureaucracy.”

McMahon also reaffirmed her commitment to combating antisemitism in education, empowering students to learn skilled trades, and protecting female athletes from biological males competing against them in sports.

While introducing McMahon, Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, pointed to her “immensely successful track record as a business executive,” her leadership at the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term, and her six grandkids who give McMahon a “personal stake” in the education system.  

“For far too long, the Department of Education has catered to far-left bureaucrats at the expense of moms and dads,” Britt said, citing pandemic-era school closures, the usurping of parental rights, and “radical ideologies” in the classroom.  

“Enough is enough. We need a change agent at the Department of Education, and that change agent is Linda McMahon,” Britt added. “She is the perfect antidote to what is wrong with education in this country.” 

McMahon’s hearing came amid heated debate about the future of the Department of Education under the Trump administration. The president told reporters on Wednesday that he would like the department to be “closed immediately,” calling it a “big con job.”  

“President Trump is reportedly drafting an executive order requiring the Secretary of Education to develop a plan for downsizing the Department of Education and working with Congress to eliminate it entirely,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, chairman of the committee, asked McMahon. “Do you agree that, since the department was created by Congress, it would need an act of Congress to actually close the Department of Education?” 

McMahon said she and Trump intend to work with Congress and “do this right” by presenting a plan that federal lawmakers could “get on board with.” 

Throughout the hearing, McMahon emphasized the importance of reducing red tape for teachers and providing alternatives to classrooms that are “micromanaged from Washington, D.C.”  

“Fund education freedom, not government-run systems. Listen to parents, not politicians,” she said. “Build up careers, not college debt. Empower states, not special interests. Invest in teachers, not Washington bureaucrats.” 

As Republicans appeared optimistic McMahon could take on a failed status quo, Democrats grilled McMahon on Trump’s agenda and whether it could lead to cuts in funding for low-income students and for children with disabilities. McMahon said repeatedly the goal was not to defund key programs but rather to make them more efficient and potentially change the way the funds are administered. 

When asked by Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, about Pell grants, McMahon said the program will continue if she is confirmed, and that she even supports expanding the grants in some instances. “I’d like to see short-term certificates of Pell grants for students who aren’t going on to four-year universities, who could have the opportunity to use Pell grants for skill-based learning,” she said. 

Amid the questioning from senators, multiple protesters in the audience interrupted the hearing before they were removed by Capitol Police. 

“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 said, following multiple outbursts. 

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which held the hearing, announced on Thursday it will hold a vote on Feb. 20 to consider McMahon’s nomination.