A planned tour across the US by Education Secretary Linda McMahon is off to a rocky start as school parents either cancel her visits or plan protests against the Donald Trump Cabinet member.
According to the Washington Post, McMahon's "History Rocks!" school visits have already been canceled in at least four locations — including stops in Massachusetts, Alabama, and two in McMahon's home state of Connecticut. Additional events in Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Illinois are facing organized protests.
The core problem: the tour is being sponsored exclusively by conservative and religious organizations, creating an obvious partisan tenor that contradicts claims of nonpartisanship.
The America 250 Civics Education Coalition that backs the tour is led by the America First Policy Institute, a pro-Trump advocacy group, and includes Turning Point USA, Moms for Liberty, and the Heritage Foundation. The coalition deliberately excluded liberal groups and prominent nonpartisan civics organizations like Civx Now, which boasts more than 450 member organizations.
"I just found it hypocritical," said Red Zellner, a senior at Murphy High School in Mobile, Alabama. "They tried to say their tour was apolitical while being very publicly supported by strongly political groups."
Zellner organized a protest after learning of McMahon's visit. Within hours, the event was canceled. McMahon relocated to another Alabama school instead.
In Connecticut, parents moved with similar speed. Tracy Rodriguez objected immediately after learning McMahon was scheduled to visit her children's elementary school.
"This tour is publicly backed by right-wing extremist groups. I think it's inappropriate to have that in our schools," Rodriguez told superintendent Michael Testani.
Four hours later, the district canceled the event. Testani reported receiving complaints from "many families" who said they were considering keeping their children home.
In Massachusetts, superintendent Caitlin Paget demanded transparency. She refused to allow the event unless she knew who would speak and what content would be presented. When the Education Department offered vague assurances that Turning Point wasn't "involved in the program itself," Paget remained skeptical — and ultimately, the event was rescheduled and never materialized.
The administration offered a cover story. An Education Department spokesperson claimed the Massachusetts event was "postponed" due to weather concerns, but online records reveal there was no bad weather in Sutton that day, as Paget confirmed.
McMahon has dismissed all criticism, claiming opponents are trying to "distort a celebration of America's 250th anniversary."
"Some have tried to brand this tour as 'radical,' 'dangerous' and 'partisan indoctrination.' How absurd," she said in a statement. "What you see is not politics — it is a shared commitment to our nation's story."
But the pattern is unmistakable: when schools demand transparency and nonpartisan sponsorship, the tour retreats — or disappears entirely.