U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said critics who disapprove of the Trump administration’s plans to dismantle the federal department suffer from what she described as “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
McMahon discussed her unusual mandate from President Donald Trump to fire herself by eliminating the department and how politics should be handled in the classroom during an appearance on “Planet Tyrus.”
“I think there is some ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ out there that they just have to push back automatically about it, and, ‘How crazy are you to think that you can do away, if you will, with the Department of Education?’” she told host Tyrus on his podcast this week.
Trump intends to shutter the Department of Education during his presidency, claiming that individual states can handle responsibilities without federal oversight.
McMahon revealed that when Trump offered her the role of education secretary, he encouraged her to fire herself.
“When he called and asked me to take on this job, he said, ‘Look, you’re going to be successful when you fire yourself.’ And I said, ‘OK,’” she said. “And he said, ‘If everything works the way we want it to, you will be the last secretary of education.’ And I said, ‘Do you know what? It’s a challenge, but I think it’s the right thing to do.’”
McMahon studied to become a French teacher but never taught in a classroom. Instead, she co-founded World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) with her husband, Vince McMahon, and left the company in 2009 to pursue politics.
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She argued that the federal Department of Education is unnecessary, citing that it’s been operating since 1980.
“1980, and before that, the Title I funding was there, special needs funding was there — all of that was in place, and it managed to get done.”
McMahon claimed her efforts to downsize the department will save taxpayers millions of dollars annually.
“We’re relocating to a smaller building. So, we’re going to save taxpayers about $4.5 million a year just relocating to a smaller building,” she said.
The education secretary also discussed the positive role politics can play in a classroom if executed fairly, recalling a personal experience.
During the 1960 presidential election between Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard Nixon, McMahon said her teacher asked her to debate for the candidate she opposed.
“He said, ‘Who do you hope wins the election?’ And I said, ‘Well, I really do hope that Mr. Nixon wins the election, and here’s why.’ And he said, ‘OK, so we’re gonna have a debate in class, but you’re gonna have to debate for Kennedy,’” McMahon explained.
“I had to debate the opposite side and then the class voted as to which one, and I thought, that’s the way you ought to teach.”
Watch McMahon’s full conversation with Tyrus on the “Planet Tyrus” on YouTube.
