Linda McMahon Could Be Filling A New Role In The Trump Administration
Former WWE President and CEO Linda McMahon, who is now the Small Business Administrator under Donald Trump, could be filling a new role in the office. According to CNBC, McMahon could replace Wilbur Ross as Commerce Secretary by the end of the year, according to three close sources to the President. Since Trump is favoring McMahon, she has told some of Trump's closest advisors that she will accept the role if offered.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders did not deny the possible McMahon move. Instead, she stated, "no personnel announcements at this time." The Small Business Administration did not confirm or deny either, but sent a statement to CNBC stating, "Administrator McMahon is proud to serve the President and is focused on advocating on behalf of America's 30 million small businesses."
The relationship between the McMahons and Trump stem back decades, with the Trump Plaza being the host of both WrestleMania 4 and WrestleMania 5. In addition to numerous appearances by Donald Trump on Raw, he was one of the features of WrestleMania 23, accompanying Bobby Lashley against Umaga, who was accompanied by Vince McMahon. As a result of Lashley defeating Umaga, Vince was forced to get his head shaved by Trump. As a result of his WWE contributions, Trump was inducted into the celebrity wing of the Hall of Fame in 2013.
Politically, the McMahons have supported Trump, as Linda was a donor to two super PACs that supported Trump's candidacy, including $6 million to Rebuilding America Now and $1 million to Future45. Vince also gave $67,000 to the Republican National Committee that year.
In 2009, Linda left the WWE to commence a career in politics. She campaigned to fill a Republican seat in the U.S. Senate, but lost to Democratic nominee Richard Blumenthal in the 2010 general election. She also was unsuccessful in 2012 to fill a Senate seat, losing to Democratic Representative Chris Murphy.
Linda has distanced herself from WWE, as she recently deferred the issue of Crown Jewel still taking place despite the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Linda said regarding the matter to TMZ, "If you want to talk WWE, you're talking to the wrong McMahon." She also added, "I don't run it and I'm not responsible for it. You gotta talk to Vince."
Source: CNBC