U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is celebrating her achievements in safeguarding women's sports and addressing leftist Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, as well as combating antisemitism on college campuses, while she plans to further reduce the Department of Education by 2026.
In an extensive interview with Breitbart News, McMahon discussed her accomplishments and future goals, emphasizing her commitment to returning more power to the states as she anticipates Congress's compliance with President Donald Trump's executive order to dismantle the department.
According to Breitbart, McMahon expressed pride in the department's Title IX efforts to protect women's sports from the participation of transgender-identifying male athletes, stating that men competing in women's sports "lacked common sense."
She highlighted incidents such as a volleyball spiking incident that resulted in a broken nose and a fencer who chose to forfeit rather than risk injury.
McMahon specifically mentioned an agreement with the University of Pennsylvania that redirected awards from trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas to deserving female athletes. "The agreement that we signed with the University of Pennsylvania, those trophies, and ribbons, and accolades that had gone to Lia Thomas were taken from [him] and awarded to those women who wouldve won those, but for that competition," she said, acknowledging the efforts of women's sports advocate Riley Gaines.
Gaines became vocal on the issue after competing against Thomas in 2022 and sharing a locker room with him. "I think that was a huge win," McMahon remarked.
The Education Secretary also lauded the shift towards merit-based college admissions, following the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling against affirmative action, and emphasized the importance of merit-based promotions and hirings on campuses. "I think weve done a lot to protect students interests across the country," she said. While acknowledging pushback on defunding DEI programs, McMahon noted that these measures are generally welcomed when implemented.
In response to the rise of antisemitism on college campuses following the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, the Department of Education took decisive action. McMahon highlighted a significant settlement with Columbia University, which agreed to a $200 million settlement with the Trump administration over allegations of failing to address antisemitism on campus. "That was a big agreement that we were able to work out with Columbia," she stated. The settlement required the university to implement policies ensuring the safety of all students, particularly Jewish students.
McMahon recounted the challenges faced when addressing antisemitism at Columbia, where students were reportedly locked in a library while others chanted "death to Jews, death to Israel." She emphasized the importance of universities taking responsibility for creating safe environments for all students. "The university knew that they needed to put stronger measures in place," she said, acknowledging the temporary freeze on federal funding as a catalyst for change.
The Department of Education's efforts to address college affordability were also highlighted, including caps on graduate program federal student loans and the introduction of a tool for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that provides information on post-graduation earning potential. "One of the goals is to put some downward pressure on universities," McMahon explained. She also noted improvements to the FAFSA process, which had been "just destroyed under the Biden administration," resulting in increased application numbers.
McMahon revealed that her department uncovered significant fraud in the Student Aid process, preventing $1 billion in fraudulent payments. "There were bots or ghost students, if you will, that had been receiving a lot of this money," she said, highlighting the importance of safeguarding taxpayer dollars.
The department's efforts to prevent fraud included identifying $90 million in federal student aid fraudulently disbursed, including funds sent to deceased individuals and companies using fake students.
Beyond higher education, McMahon emphasized the importance of alternative career pathways that do not require four-year degrees. "Weve been working on changing the culture and the mindset relative to education," she said, noting the need for skilled workers in fields such as electrical work, HVAC, and artificial intelligence. She stressed the potential economic benefits of reskilling and retraining individuals for these roles.
Looking ahead to 2026, McMahon outlined her top priorities, including improving literacy, investing in school choice, and returning education control to the states. "Number one is literacy," she stated, citing concerning National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) scores. She also highlighted the department's record $500 million investment in school choice and the goal of eliminating the federal education bureaucracy.
While McMahon has ordered significant workforce reductions at the Department of Education, she acknowledged that officially dismantling the department would require congressional action. She detailed her work on interagency agreements (IAAs) to transfer responsibilities to other departments as a step towards winding down the department. "I think thats really the first step [toward winding the department down]," she said.
The Education Secretary announced six IAAs with four departments in November, following the first agreement with the Department of Labor in July. She emphasized the thoroughness of these agreements, which cover everything from parking spaces to program responsibilities. McMahon expressed confidence in the IAAs as "proof of concept" to demonstrate the department's redundancy.
McMahon is committed to keeping Congress informed of her department's efforts, engaging with lawmakers through various channels to ensure transparency and collaboration. "I believe everyone wants to make sure that the needs of our students throughout the United States are served," she said. She acknowledged the need for a "hard reset" in education, aligning with the president's directive to return control to the states.
When questioned about the potential for a future Democrat administration to reverse her efforts, McMahon stressed the importance of maintaining open communication with lawmakers. "The purpose for all of this is to get their comments, what theyre hearing from their constituents," she said.
She emphasized the interactive nature of the Department of Education's work, ensuring that it is not conducted in isolation.
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