Trump taps Linda McMahon to run Education Department

 

Linda McMahon, former Administrator of Small Business Administration, speaks at the Republican National Convention, at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18. 

Brian Snyder/Reuters

President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday that he’s chosen Linda McMahon, the co-chair of his transition committee, to be Secretary of the Department of Education.

McMahon served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term.

CNN reported earlier Tuesday that McMahon was expected to be his pick.

The secretary is the head of the Department of Education and “is responsible for the overall, direction, supervision and coordination of all activities of the Department and is the principal adviser to the president on federal policies, programs and activities related to education in the US,” according to the department’s website.

Some of the Department of Education’s biggest jobs are to administer federal funding appropriated by Congress to K-12 schools and manage the federal student loan and financial aid programs. Trump has pledged to abolish the department. He has not said exactly how he would want to shut the department down, which would require an act of Congress — or what would happen to federally funded education programs if he did.