Former SBA Administrator Linda McMahon Takes on Education Department in Bold Shift

In a surprising turn of events, Linda McMahon is no longer serving as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration. She was confirmed as the U.S. Secretary of Education on March 3, 2025, by a Senate vote of 51-45, marking a significant career shift for the former wrestling executive. The Small Business Administration is now headed by Kelly Loeffler, who released a "Day One" memo on February 24, 2025, outlining her priorities for the agency. Loeffler's memo emphasizes rooting out fraud, particularly addressing an estimated $200 billion in pandemic-era fraud that allegedly went unaddressed during the previous administration. The SBA under Loeffler has established a Fraud Working Group and plans to appoint a Fraud Czar to identify and recover criminally obtained funds. Loeffler's SBA is also focusing on implementing President Trump's executive orders, mandating that non-exempt employees return to full-time office work, and collaborating with the Department of Government Efficiency. One controversial move includes plans to relocate regional offices currently based in what the memo refers to as "sanctuary cities" to "less costly, more accessible locations in communities that comply with federal immigration law." Meanwhile, McMahon has quickly made her mark at the Department of Education. On March 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order directing McMahon to "facilitate" the closure of the 45-year-old Education Department. This aligns with McMahon's confirmation hearing pledge to maintain school funding even as she works toward ending the department. In a recent development on April 8, 2025, while defending Education Department cuts, McMahon told ed-tech entrepreneurs that it's time to "do something different," expressing her desire to cut bureaucracy while ensuring key federal funds continue flowing to schools. McMahon's transition from the SBA to Education Secretary builds on her previous government experience. She initially joined the Trump administration in 2017 as SBA Administrator, where she earned praise from colleagues for her ability to listen and learn from subject-matter experts. Former associates Barb Carson and Pradeep Belur have noted that these skills will serve her well in her new role at the Education Department. Most recently, on May 7, 2025, McMahon made headlines with a scathing letter to Harvard University, calling the institution a "mockery" and threatening to cut off all federal grant funding, further demonstrating her willingness to take bold positions in her new role. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.