President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Linda McMahon to lead the Small Business Association (SBA).
The SBA is an independent agency of the federal government designed to provide loans and grants to small business owners and entrepreneurs. It also provides advice and general guidance about how to improve or start a small business.
Linda McMahon is the wife of Vince McMahon, who inherited WWE from his father in the 1980s (when it was known as the World Wrestling Federation). She was named President of the company in 1993 and CEO in 1997. During her time with WWE, she frequently participated in wrestling events in a supporting role.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfJsbszVCrM
From The Wrestling Ring To The Political Ring
In 2009 she left wrestling to join the Connecticut Board of Education, though she retained a stake in WWE. She resigned from the board to run for Senate the following year, losing to Democrat Richard Blumenthal. She ran again in 2012, losing to Democrat Chris Murphy.
McMahon went on to become a major contributor to the Republican Party. Together with her husband, McMahon donated $5 million to the Donald J. Trump Foundation in 2007. Late in the 2016 campaign cycle, McMahon gave $6 million to a Trump super PAC.
It’s All Showbiz
In a statement about his selection, Trump said:
“Linda has a tremendous background and is widely recognized as one of the country’s top female executives advising businesses around the globe. She helped grow WWE from a modest 13-person operation to a publicly traded global enterprise with more than 800 employees in offices worldwide.”
But McMahon and Trump have more in common than business experience. Pro wrestling was the original reality TV – semi-scripted drama that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. Trump himself proved adept at the format on his show, The Apprentice.
Where once conservative stalwarts would have balked at the selection of a presidential candidate who openly bragged about sexually assaulting women, they would also surely have disapproved of a woman whose business trafficked in violence, misogyny, and sexuality.
But the Right now seems perfectly at ease with one entertainer – Trump – selecting another to lead one the nation’s highest economic offices. Yes, Linda McMahon will fit right in to the strange new Republican Party Trump is forging.
McMahon will need to be confirmed by the Senate before taking the helm at the SBA. You can learn more about her appointment in the video below:
Featured image via YouTube video.
