All posts tagged "Education Secretary"

Education secretary Linda McMahon was roundly mocked on social media after flubbing "basic math" while testifying Tuesday morning before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the department’s fiscal 2026 budget request.

According to The Hill, "The request by the Trump administration...includes major cuts to federal education and research programs, putting a focus on state and local education systems. It also includes a boost in charter school grants."

Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) took a moment out of the hearing to explain to McMahon the difference between "billion" and "trillion."...

President Donald Trump's education secretary Linda McMahon drew scathing criticism on social media for touting academic research that falls in line with the Trump administration's values.

McMahon told CNBC on Wednesday, "Universities should continue to be able to do research as long as they're abiding by the laws and in sync, I think, with the administration and what the administration is trying to accomplish."

Her comments followed in the wake of Trump's recent attacks on Harvard University over issues of free speech and academic freedoms. ...

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) received widespread praise on social media Wednesday for her takedown of Linda McMahon during the education secretary's defense of the Trump administration's plan to slash $4.5 billion from the nation's K-12 schools.

McMahon, a billionaire thanks to her involvement with World Wrestling Entertainment, testified before the House Appropriations Committee, echoing the administration's talking points on "waste, fraud, and abuse."

McMahon said the school cuts and Trump-directed dismantling of her department would "shrink bureaucracy and empower states 'to manage education in this country,'” The New York Times reported. ...