This is Fresh Air. I'm Dave Davies. In filling out his cabinet, President Trump has tapped some

colorful characters, sometimes TV hosts and talking heads whose views appeal to him. His pick for

Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, has television experience of a different kind, talking smack in

pro wrestling rings, often with her husband, wrestling mogul

Vince McMahon, known for his showmanship and allegations of sexual abuse. Our guest, writer Zach

Hellfant, has written a profile of Linda McMahon in The New Yorker. She is no clown, he finds.

She proved to be a savvy businesswoman as CEO of the family wrestling empire.

And when Trump tapped her to head the small business administration in his first term,

Healthand writes she was a steady and effective leader.

Many describe her as capable, kind, and empathetic.

She came to her new role with little experience in education policy, but an unwavering

commitment to Trump's goal of eliminating the department altogether. While only Congress can

formally abolish the cabinet-level agency, health end rights that McMahon is systematically

dismantling the department, cutting some 50% of its employees, and transferring its

functions elsewhere, with dramatic impacts on education research, student loan management,

and programs for students with disabilities. He also finds that her experience with professional

wrestling and her volatile husband was good preparation for her turn to MAGA politics.

Zach Hellfan became a staff writer at The New Yorker in 2025.

Previously, he was an editor of the magazine's Talk of the Town feature, a member of its fact-checking department, and a reporter for the Los Angeles Times.

His new story is The Executor, how professional wrestling

prepared Linda McMahon for Trump's cabinet. Zach Hellfan, welcome to fresh air.

Thanks for having me. Professional wrestling is more than just battles in the ring, you know,

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