Key cabinet nominations from Donald Trump have been revealed: Famous doctor Mehmet Oz will oversee the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and WWE co-founder Linda McMahon will be nominated for education secretary. The nominations highlight Trump’s ongoing habit of appointing devoted followers to senior government positions, generating appreciation and criticism.
From WWE to the Department of Education, can Linda McMahon make a transition?
Trump has audacious plans to choose Linda McMahon, a long-time friend, as head of the Department of Education. Along with co-founding World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) with her husband in 1980, McMahon oversaw the Small Business Administration (SBA) under Trump’s first term.
Trump declared on Truth Social, “Linda will empower the next generation of American students and workers using her decades of leadership experience and great knowledge of education and business.”
McMahon’s educational history is poor; she only formally served on Connecticut’s State Board of Education from 2009 to 2010. She still acts as board chair of the America First Policy Institute, a pro-Trump research tank supporting parental rights in education.
“For the past four years, Linda has been a ferocious defender of parents’ rights,” added Trump. Her validation in the Senate with most Republicans should go without a hitch.
Trump’s nomination of McMahon comes as he promises to shut down the Department of Education and give states back power. Emphasizing his administration’s decentralized emphasis, he said McMahon will “spearhead the effort to send education BACK TO THE STATES.”
McMahon’s nomination, meanwhile, has not been without criticism. In a current lawsuit involving WWE, she and her husband have been accused of allegedly letting young boys be mistreated by a ringside announcer who died in 2012. The McMahons deny wrongdoing; their attorney characterizes the charges as “false claims” and “utterly meritless.”
Why Is Mehmet Oz a Controversial Healthcare Choice?
Regarding healthcare, Trump has chosen former television host and celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The government supervises over 150 million Americans’ healthcare and controls rules about hospitals, medical services, and pharmaceutical businesses, thereby controlling expenses.
“There may be no physician more qualified and talented than Dr. Oz to Make America Healthy Again,” Trump said in his remarks.
Before running The Dr. Oz Show, 64-year-old Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, became well-known on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Although his medical credentials are clear-cut, his media career has come under fire for endorsing dubious health advice and pseudoscience.
Oz was harshly attacked for supporting unproven dietary supplements, including items he claimed could “literally flush fat from your system,” during Senate hearings in 2014. He admitted advocating items off-air but justified himself by saying he did not personally sell pills.
In what way does Trump intend to "Make America Healthy Again"?
Trump’s choice of Oz shows a will to restructure one of the government’s most costly departments completely. Medicare and Medicaid combined accounted for $1.4 trillion in federal expenditures in 2023. Trump has charged Oz with boosting openness, choice, and healthcare competition while decreasing waste and fraud.
The Trump transition team claimed Oz would “take on the illness industrial complex” working with Health Secretary candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Oz’s prior issues remain even with these sponsorships. He advocated hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine as treatments during the COVID-19 epidemic even though scientific opinion is in line and finds them useless.
Critics have also questioned Oz’s connections to health firms, which were exposed during his failed Senate candidacy in Pennsylvania. Professionals worry that his advocacy of alternative therapies could compromise evidence-based healthcare policy.
Driven by loyalty, is Trump selecting his cabinet?
Trump’s selection of McMahon and Oz follows a more significant trend of selecting ardent supporters for essential roles. Earlier this week, he called another long-time friend, Howard Lutnick, Commerce Secretary.
The Senate must confirm Trump’s selections and their backgrounds and scandals are expected to be closely examined as he forms his government. While some applaud these choices as visionary, others caution about risks related to inexperience and past problems.
The following months will define how McMahon and Oz negotiate their different responsibilities in education and healthcare—two industries vital to the direction of American policy.
