The Trump istration has it all out on universities throughout the country. People have understandably been raising questions about what exactly they want from these institutions to escape their wave of defunding — and the answer of being “in sync with Trump” was simply too domineering for some observers to believe.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon was articulating the policy of Trump’s istration to CNBC in regards to her docket. McMahon, who has worked with Vince McMahon in the wrestling industry for years, had the arduous task of explaining why Trump was defunding research in some great universities. According to her, all they have to do is follow the law, clamp down on anti-Semitism, and be cognizant of what the istration is trying to accomplish.

The first two asks were lost in the fray because all people on X could focus on is the idea that it’s expected of them to curry favor with the istration of the day. Harvard University in particular was mentioned, and that in itself was cause for enough alarm. There have been rumors that Trump’s gripes with Harvard perhaps might be more personal, but even if they aren’t — a new precedent is trying to be set with this new istration that education must be limited to their ideas specifically.

Harvard University is reportedly fighting back against Trump’s overbearing oversight. But even as this goes on, the istration has started yet another policy where they’re scrutinizing foreign students, especially from China. All of these factors coupled together have of course caused people to decry that this might be the end of academic freedom in the United States. There’s already a historical context to be drawn in regards to which kinds of government actually do this kind of thing.

An X flatly accused the istration of overstepping their mandate, stating bluntly, “This is what authoritarianism looks like.” And while it does sound harsh at first, there’s precedence to that claim. During the height of the Soviet Union, Stalin famously clamped down on math and statistics because they were exposing that the economy of their country wasn’t going as perfectly as he claimed.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon: Universities should continue to be able to do research as long as they're abiding by the laws and in sync with what the Trump istration is trying to accomplish.

This is what authoritarianism looks like.
pic.twitter.com/0otZtIAjKs

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) May 28, 2025

Stalin believed that instead of dealing with the truth — he could just shut down the research entirely. Statisticians like Andrey Kolmogorov and Eugen Slutsky instead were the ones who bore the brunt of the blame. Maybe Trump has been flying a little too close to the sun in regards to his flirtation with President Putin and that’s where he’s getting these ideas.

In the comments of the post itself, there were other people pointing fingers at other authoritarian figures from the past who went to war with science and research. The fact is, you can go as far back as you want, even back to the time of Galileo — leadership that demands compliance from nature usually leads to regression.

Worst part is that Hitler tried it and failed horribly but lived with the consequences unhappily ever after.

How do you like to go from the bastion of democracy and innovation and knowledge to controlled thoughts by authoritarian propaganda?

— Evaristus Odinikaeze (@odinikaeze) May 28, 2025

Research is one of the core responsibilities of universities in a society. The researches bring about discoveries, development, and perhaps most importantly the truth. And for the Trump istration, that last point seems to be something they are in an endless battle with.

It would be difficult to claim that anyone in Donald Trump’s government is qualified, but Linda McMahon was one of the more jarring names to hear floated around. Now the Education Secretary is going full steam ahead with her plan to decrease the amount of employees at the Department of Education, which would suggest that perhaps education isn’t her strong suit.

AP News reported that over 1,300 people who work for the DOE are about to be fired. Leases on the DOE buildings in Cleveland, Chicago, Boston, and New York have also been ended.

McMahon and Trump would be more than happy to get rid of the DOE. Although McMahon said when she was confirmed that Congress can decide that, she has been clear about wanting to get rid of more than a few jobs. Hey, if you can’t convince Congress to shut down an entire government department, why not just make it a shell of its former self with almost no employees left?

In this case, claiming that efficiency is the name of the game is just plain cruel. The Department of Education isn’t full of a bunch of functionaries who care only about earning a salary. It’s hard to overstate its importance when you look at what it’s responsible for. For one thing, social workers who help students in schools are paid by the DOE. The DOE also funds the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and helps students in colleges and universities with financial aid and student loans.

If I never heard the term “MAGA” again it would be too soon, but unfortunately, everyone in Trump’s government has the same vocabulary. So, while McMahon has taken a page of Elon Musk’s annoying book and is a big fan of talking about making the DOE more efficient, she’s also talking about Making Education Great Again. As she said in her official statement, it’s about “restoring the greatness of the United States education system.”

Sure. It’s great that there will be 2,183 employees instead of 4,133. It’s great that the laid off employees will stop doing their jobs as of Friday, March 21, 2025, when there is so much to do to help students. As McMahon also said, the layoffs prove the DOE’s “commitment to efficiency, ability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers.” Yes. Firing the very people who are in charge of getting money where it needs to go will somehow magically do that.

Trump, Musk, and McMahon like to talk about efficiency and money, but McMahon makes her real thoughts clear in her “final mission” piece on the U.S. Department of Education website. Besides saying she wants to “send education back to the states,” a dubious plan since no one is sure who will send funding if the DOE doesn’t anymore, she mentions Trump’s executive order about “restoring patriotic education and civics” as a matter of curriculum. She also mentions that U.S. students are “subjected to radical anti-American ideology.” Okay. There it is! Oh, let’s not forget that one of her three stated missions as DOE head is to make sure kids don’t have to deal with “divisive DEI programs and gender ideology.”

So, education is fine and even “great,” as long as kids are being taught to love America (aka Trump) and no one talks about racism, discrimination, or sex ed. Every child has a right to an education, and no, I don’t mean teaching them about MAGA.

President Donald Trump‘s newly-minted Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the quiet part out loud in an introductory email to staff, indicating Trump’s threats to abolish the federal agency should be taken seriously, according to a Facebook post from the Alt National Park Service.

News of McMahon’s email came a day after she was approved as Department of Education head in a 51-45 vote along party lines. Trump ran on abolishing the federal agency, as was also outlined in Project 2025, a blueprint for Trump’s second term.

At her confirmation hearing, McMahon affirmed that her “boss” Trump wanted the agency, formed in 1979, “closed immediately,” USA Today reported. McMahon, WWE co-founder Vince McMahon’s estranged wife, later conceded that only the GOP-controlled Congress can abolish federal agencies.

An “historic” final mission

Multiple reports, including an Alt National Parks social media post, established for anti-Trump messaging in his first term, have now emerged that McMahon wasted no time on the first day of her job, warning DOE staff the end was coming in an introductory email. In their post, Alt National Parks summed up what she said,

RIP U.S. Department of Education. Education Secretary Linda McMahon introduced herself to department employees with an email calling on them to her in a ‘historic final mission’ to downsize the agency and shift control to the states. While she emphasized returning power to local governments, she also echoed Trump’s call for the federal government to police what schools are teaching. Not sure how you return power but then don’t return all of it.”

According to The Hill, McMahon reportedly also called Trump’s promise to shutter the DOE one of the  “most momentous” of the campaign, adding her plan would “send education back to the states.”  The email added,

This restoration will profoundly impact staff, budgets, and agency operations here at the Department. In coming months, we will partner with Congress and other federal agencies to determine the best path forward to fulfill the expectations of the President and the American people. We will eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy so that our colleges, K-12 schools, students, and teachers can innovate and thrive.”

In her staff email, McMahon also outlined several tentpoles as DOE leader, including taxpayer-funded schools are only for “math and reading” not divisive DEI programs and gender ideology. Meanwhile, Mahon added that, under her purview, the purpose of post-secondary education was to job creation and benefit the workforce.

McMahon s Trump’s proposals to do away with critical race theory and diversity, equity, and inclusion education in public schools, as well as school choice, or permitting private schools to receive public education funding, including religious institutions.

In the meantime, what American education might look like post-DOE is unclear. According to NBC News, Connecticut Democratic Representative Maryam Khan said there was no federal plan for what happens next. “If there’s just an implementation of something, all of a sudden, there’s no way any state can plan that quickly. There would be huge burdens on states to try to figure out something within a very small time frame.”

Referring to McMahon, now in charge of a federal agency she plans to close, Trump has said, “I told Linda, ‘Linda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job.'”

If you ever needed more convincing that we’re all living in the Matrix and the system is now glitching all over the place, all you need to do is remind yourself that at least three of the people Donald Trump has picked to head the federal departments in his second term are grappling with allegations of sexual misconduct.

Today’s bombshell came in the form of the problematic Matt Gaetz, who the president-elect had chosen to serve as the next United States attorney general. It wasn’t just the fact that the man was a walking red flag who threatened to undermine every basic human right left to minorities. Gaetz has been repeatedly accused of sexual abuse, and there’s even a new case of an untoward encounter with a 17-year-old. Gaetz announced his withdrawal from the position earlier today, only a day after meeting with the GOP senators to discuss his approbation process.

Now you may be wondering what the fuss is all about. This should, after all, be just another Thursday for Donald Trump as he prepares to preside over another four years of authoritarian rule in the White House. Well, the bar has been lowered time and again when it comes to Trump, but even he has managed to outdo himself in this particular instance, because not one, not two, but three of the people Trump has nominated to form his second-term cabinet are having to dodge those sexual misconduct allegations like Francis Underwood on crack.

Enter Pete Hegseth, the supposed next secretary of defense and head of DoD, whose only qualification for the job has been spreading lies on Fox News since 2014. Hegseth has also been accused of sexual harassment by a woman, whom he paid in a settlement agreement with a confidentiality clause, all but confirming that he was guilty of some misdemeanor.

Hegseth is applying Trump’s own tried and tested formula of ignoring the problem and derailing the conversation to something else. “This is a battle that is just beginning,” he said during a Republican prayer call on Tuesday. “I know in our family, we take that time to hold them up in prayer.” They also take their time paying hush money to people they’ve manipulated. No wonder Trump loves Hegseth so much. Their meetings must be like looking into a mirror and finding a 40-year younger version of yourself.

A police report obtained by CNN claims that Hegseth once sexually assaulted a California woman by physically blocking her exit from the hotel room, taking her phone, and then having his way despite her repeatedly saying “no.” How long will it take before the scrutiny surrounding Hegseth is also prickly enough to discard him altogether?

Last but not least is Linda McMahon, Trump’s pick for the Department of Education, who is being accused of willfully enabling the sexual exploitation of children by a WWE employee in the 1980s. This suit was filed in October by five John Does who claim they were between the ages of 13 to 15 when this WWE person recruited them to work as “Ring Boys,” helping him set up and take down wrestling rings at WWE matches. McMahon’s attorney has denied the allegations, but her husband Vince McMahon already itted that he knew the WWE employee “had [a] peculiar and unnatural interest” in young boys. Vince is currently under a federal probe for allegations of his own offenses of sexual trafficking and abuse.

And this, folks, is the reality we’re living in 2024, where our president-elect, himself accused of sexual misconduct numerous times, is building a cabinet of questionable if not downright despicable human beings to lead the country over the next 4 years. I don’t know about you, but I miss the days when having an immoral relationship with a White House intern was all it would take to be disowned by the country and the Senate.

Warning: The following article contains discussions of sexual abuse and substance misuse.

Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren sounded off about Donald Trump’s latest divisive cabinet pick, former WWE executive Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education.

McMahon, who was part of Trump’s first istration and donated to his 2020 presidential campaign, has been put in charge of the nation’s schooling despite a lack of experience. More troubling is McMahon’s ties to husband Vince and their WWE empire, which resulted in an October 2024 lawsuit that alleged she was aware of and failed to act on child sexual abuse, according to CNN.

Massachusetts representative Warren took to X to react to the news, calling McMahon an “unqualified, billionaire wrestling mogul,” unfit to lead the nation’s Department of Education. She also made it clear she believes Trump’s choice is an “insult” to the nation’s teachers and students who rely on public schooling.

The John Does’ lawsuit

The McMahons, among other WWE and TKO Group leadership, were named in a 2024 lawsuit that claimed they knowingly enabled sexual abuse perpetrated by ringside announcer Melvin Phillips Jr. The filing alleged he groomed children under the guise of recruiting ring boys, who would help him execute job duties during events. The lawsuit claims Phillips would then sexually abuse them, often filming the acts.

Similarly to claims made by other former WWE employees and wrestlers, McMahon was allegedly aware it was happening but failed to inform authorities or protect potential victims, according to five John Does who said they were between the ages of 13 and 15 when these events may have transpired.

The WWE’s history of sexual abuse allegations

As explored in the 2024 docies Mr. McMahon, WWE executives have been at the center of legal action for decades. Several former employees say Vince assaulted them, though failed to prove it in court or settled out of it.

Then there is the matter of the late, beloved for her punk rock charm, Diva Ashley Massaro, who died by suicide in May 2019 at 39 years old. An affidavit signed by Massaro was released post-humorously by lawyer Konstantine Kyros. In it, she claimed she was drugged and assaulted by a man who claimed to be a U.S. Army doctor during a 2007 WWE event in Kuwait.

The United States Naval Criminal Service launched an investigation in June 2019 before closing it in Jan. 2020 after the case went cold due to a lack of leads. However, a medical assistant interviewed in a report made public by Wrestling Online claimed she was treated in a medical facility for abdominal and pelvic pain.

The assistant also said she appeared drowsy and could not determine why, but that they saw no evidence of sexual assault. Unfortunately, many assaults of this nature that happen overseas with U.S. Army staff involved are not properly recorded, nor are allegations dealt with in the manner they’re meant to be.

The alleged assault went unpublicized, and Massaro never got a sliver of justice. She struggled with drug addiction post-WWE retirement and she died of non-criminal causes. WWE denied any knowledge of Massaro’s claims — which some have refuted — and has not adequately addressed claims Mr. McMahon acted inappropriately toward her.

This is one of many stories. Mrs. McMahon seemingly had no knowledge of this event or the several other claims made by Divas about her husband. But the number of allegations that exist speaks to a culture of cover-ups and sexual abuse during her tenure. A reasonable person might wait for the result of the October lawsuit before putting her in a position meant to protect youths.

Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, is already inspiring teaching staff across the U.S., just not in the ways he might have hoped.

McMahon, the wife of disgraced WWE mastermind Vince McMahon and a frequent participant in egregious wrestling storylines, is one of the most mind-boggling Trump cabinet picks yet. Before she sets her sights on education policies, TikTok teachers are already considering how to implement the former WWE executive’s ideas.

Content creator @mooreteaches reacted to the news with the one question we were all thinking about: To clothesline, or not to clothesline? With the help of some students, he put together an impressive montage of classic wrestling moves like the chair shot and John Cena’s “You Can’t See Me” gesture, set to Stone Cold Steve Austin’s ring theme.

No kids were hurt in the making of this film because clearly everyone understood the assignment. Fake-out punches, well-performed dropkicks, choreographed jumps — this is just like Saturday Night Smackdown. “You had way too much fun filming this,” one wrote.

Many commenters discovered McMahon had been picked via @mooreteaches’s TikTok, leaving comments like “Thoughts and chairs,” and “This is how I’m finding out Linda McMahon is going to be Secretary of Education. I just got home from work.”

Mr. Moore, who teaches in Richlands, North Carolina, frequently posts about his classroom, funny tidbits from his students, and what life as an educator is like. Or was like. Now, he knows it’s “Time to lay the smackdown!”

McMahon has little education experience but has been pushing her way into politics since the 2010s. She ran for senate twice and began contributing large amounts of money to Trump’s presidential campaign following defeat.

She served as the of the Small Business istration from 2017 to 2019 and chaired America First Action, a super PAC that backed Trump’s re-election in 2020. She raised $83 million in 2020 through it, according to CT Mirror. Then, McMahon was made transition team chair in August 2024, after donating $814,600 to Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Her only relevant background is that she served one year on Connecticut’s Board of Education in 2009, according to AP. She claimed she wanted to be a teacher at one point in her life, but that never came to fruition. Her deep pockets and history of Trump loyalism, like most of the president-elect’s choices, were probably compelling reasons to draft her.

Many of Trump’s picks have faced legal issues and allegations, and McMahon is no different. Though often framed as a less-involved bystander in her husband’s WWE drama, she was named in an October 2024 lawsuit that claimed she and other leaders at the company failed to act on knowledge of sexual abuse perpetrated by Melvin Phillips Jr..

The lawsuit followed decades of allegations made against Mr. McMahon, whose exploits and impact on wrestling were explored in a 2024 Netflix docies. Linda came out of it largely unscathed, but an attorney representing the McMahons responded to the October suit in USA Today, denying the allegations.

In a saner world, Trump’s cabinet picks would incite confusion and panic. Unfortunately, this is the decision-making we’ve come to expect from a president who operates like a businessman first and foremost — and an erratic one at that.

In Donald Trump’s America, nothing should surprise us. And yet here we are, repeatedly picking our jaws up off the floor with each fresh announcement.

This is exactly what more than half of the country voted for, and Trump in no way led us to believe he’d be anything but disastrous as president, yet we continue to react in astonishment every time he taps a Matt Gaetz, Dr. Oz, or Linda McMahon to lead major government departments. McMahon — among the most recent selections — isn’t necessarily the worst choice Trump has made so far, but she’s definitely one of the weirdest.

If you recognize the McMahon surname, it’s likely through the WWE, which Linda co-founded with her husband, Vince McMahon. He’s been deeply connected to the organization from the very start, appearing in enough promotional material to make his face recognizable to the general public. Linda, meanwhile, has been quietly trying to insert herself into the world of politics for a decade and a half now, and she finally got her shot when Trump rose to power.

He already granted her a position in his government once — naming her the of the Small Business istration in 2016 — and now McMahon is headed into a second stint in the Trump White House. This time, she’ll be serving as education secretary, overseeing a likely doomed department she holds no qualifications for.

Why was Linda McMahon named education secretary?

Linda McMahon got her new nomination for one reason and one reason only — because she’s a Trump loyalist and a heavy contributor to his political campaigns. Her background in education is negligible at best and non-existent at worst, but her steadfast presence at Trump’s side (not to mention her deep pockets) made her an easy pick for his incoming istration.

McMahon first became a figure to watch through the WWE and later turned that influence into a political push. She ran for Senate twice — first in 2010 and then again in 2012 — and lost both times. It wasn’t until she shifted her focus that she started to make an impact in politics, as she contributed vast amounts to various campaigns — most notably, Trump’s.

The only ounce of educational background McMahon boasts is a single-year stint serving on Connecticut’s Board of Education in 2009. She was never a teacher, regardless of claims that she wanted to be, and she has no relevant experience in any kind of an educational role. While McMahon has listed teaching as an early career goal, she never actually taught in any official capacity. Her background, as it relates to the area, is notably empty, apart from her outspoken of charter schools or “school choice,” something many in the educational field are openly against.

She has been a consistent and vocal er of Trump, however, and he’s rewarding her loyalty and generous campaign donations with a position in his government. McMahon is now tasked with overseeing the education of future generations — at the head of a department Trump has promised to abolish completely — in a grim decision for our country’s future.

As the world collectively sits back and feels absolutely dumbfounded by Donald Trump’s largely unqualified cabinet selections, the spotlight is currently as hot as ever and shining directly on Linda McMahon.

At the time of this writing, McMahon slots in as the President-elect’s latest cabinet selection, fresh on the heels of Dr. Oz — yes, you read that correctly — being chosen to lead Medicare and Medicaid. Lord help us all. As for McMahon, however, her promotion in Trump’s hogwash camp is being equally criticized — if not more, perhaps for the sole fact that her husband, Vince McMahon, has easily become one of the most disliked individuals in public life over the last year.

Following Trump’s announcement in regards to Linda, the internet has shifted gears to focus particularly on Vince — who, much like Trump, has found himself at the center of a disastrous sexual assault scandal. As a result, many are questioning whether or not Linda should be rewarded with such a monumental task of leading the Education Department considering how awful her husband has proven himself to be.

That being said, others — and by others, I mean MAGAts — are counter arguing that Linda and Vince have been separated for years now, so I guess that’s supposed to mean that she shouldn’t be held responsible for her husband’s actions? Sorry, MAGA, but life doesn’t work that way. Nevertheless, questions surrounding the pair’s marriage are at an all-time high.

So, are Vince and Linda still married?

For the longest time, the ever-growing rumor circulating in the IWC (Internet Wrestling Community) is that Vince and Linda have been separated for several years now, with many believing them to have been separated anywhere from a decade to 20 years. 

Furthermore, the Washington Post recently reported that Linda’s attorney, Laura Brevetti, confirmed that the couple are indeed legally separated, but are still technically married to each other. That being said, isn’t it funny that these rumors have been building for years now, but the separation is only just now being confirmed to save face for Linda after being selected by Trump">not even surprised” in the slightest. So, it appears as though there was a considerable amount of truth to this rumor, and it’s also incredibly clear that Linda wishes to distance herself from her “husband” just as her political career touches new heights.

Ever since being elected into the Office of President, Donald Trump’s appointments have been rather odd. In fact, the President-elect’s inner circle is somewhat of a joke, even though nobody’s laughing. 

 But between the secretaries for federal agencies, and all the other high-ranking positions he’s appointed so far, his most recent choice for the Secretary of Education is probably the most random. Once again, Trump’s left the experienced candidates behind, and headed to the world of wrestling to select his latest cabinet member, who’s directly linked to who many refer to as the “Diddy of WWE.” 

Trump tags in his most outrageous appointment yet

On Tuesday, president-elect Donald Trump selected another person to his cohorts as the Secretary of Education. This was none other than Linda McMahon, former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) CEO and long-time Trump er. McMahon previously served at the helm of the Small Business istration (SBA) during Trump’s first term, and was the co-chair of his transition committee. She has also been a major financial contributor to his presidential campaigns. 

His appointment of McMahon comes after his public criticism of the Department of Education, and his promise to shut it down. The DOE is an integral part of the nation’s federal systems and plays a huge role in ensuring equal and accessible education for all Americans. During a rally on his campaign trail, Trump asserted that he will, “ultimately eliminate the federal Department of Education,” and it seems that McMahon is his choice to carry out that mission. 

However, being a Trump er and donating millions to his campaign isn’t the only thing about McMahon that’s questionable. Following the news of her appointment, one commenter asked, “Isn’t her husband the Diddy of WWE">and even Jeffrey Epstein. As he continues to fill out his cabinet, we can only wonder which controversial person he will choose next. 

It increasingly feels like Donald Trump‘s selections for key government positions are one big prank. Thus far, his cabinet is comprised of a man with a worm-munched brain, a heavily investigated maybe-criminal, a Fox News flunky, a few crazed corporate cronies, a fake doctor, and now a wrestling wacko with literally zero qualifications.

That’s right, folks, Trump’s selection of the “very best” people now includes Linda McMahon as education secretary. If the name sounds familiar, it’s likely more due to McMahon’s husband, Vince McMahon, who co-founded and led the WWE from its inception through 2022, rather than due to Linda herself. McMahon left his position at the head of the WWE when troubling investigations urged him to resign, and those same investigations have links to WWE’s other co-founder — Linda McMahon herself.

Now Linda is headed into her second stint in politics, this time at the head of a department Trump himself has threatened to abolish. She was already tapped by the wrestling fan-turned president once — she served as the 25th of the Small Business istration, something she likewise wasn’t qualified for — and apparently she impressed him the first time around.

Now Trump is eyeing McMahon for a much more important position — at least until it ceases to exist. This utterly cartoonish decision was as instantly unpopular as all of Trump’s other cabinet picks — Dr. Oz? Really? — but that dissent quickly deepened when discussions of the McMahons’ legal issues arose.

Yes, it was technically Vince McMahon that was at the center of that sex trafficking scandal, but there are very few people who think his wife was uninvolved. For one thing, she’s his whole wife — you’re going to tell me she was completely in the dark? And then there’s her deep involvement with the WWE — to which the scandal was linked — and her continued presence in McMahon’s life, despite their separation.

Scandal after scandal have haunted McMahon for years, but his wife has somehow stayed on the outside of those accusations of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and a full-blown federal investigation into her husband. It’s the latter that’s raising the most eyebrows, in the wake of Trump’s announcement, as people share rampant theories that Linda was far more involved in all aspects of the family business than she wants us to believe.

Even if she wasn’t, however, and Linda was genuinely unaware of what her husband was doing, she’s still utterly unqualified for her new position. She has no background in education, no history of championing educational progress, and no links to politics outside of her friendship with Trump. She is simply yet another example of Trump rewarding his most loyal hangers-on, regardless of qualifications, and damn what they’ll do to our country once they find themselves in power.

McMahon is an atrocious pick for education secretary, regardless of whether or not she was actually embroiled in those endless scandals linked to her husband and the WWE. She will not serve this country well, but she will serve King Trump well, and that’s all he’s looking for in his second istration.

Beginning in the late 1980s, my father was friends with former wrestling manager Captain Lou Albano. They lived fairly close to each other, did some business together, and had a mutual respect. My dad was also something of a wrestling fan, so it was a cool friendship that he speaks fondly of today.

With the ongoing controversies surrounding the now-former CEO of the WWE, Vince McMahon, I decided to write this article about him. The most recent controversy, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, involves McMahon allegedly participating in a form of sex trafficking.

When I told my dad who I was writing about, he mentioned that Lou Albano once said to him that Vince McMahon’s father was a great man but that Vince himself was crazy. Albano said it’s partly why he originally retired in 1986 despite having just managed the British Bulldogs to the title. He thought Vince was untrustworthy.

It turns out that he was right.

Since then, Vince McMahon has been involved in numerous cover-ups and controversies, most of it in the name of greed. He has made the WWE the biggest wrestling organization in the world but it has come at a tremendous cost to others. Perhaps now, if justice still breathes, it will come at a cost to himself.

Vince bought the WWE from his father in 1982 and the troubles began almost right away. Here’s a list of just some of those troubles, concluding with details of the new allegations against him.

Death of Nancy Argentino

In May 1983, Nancy Argentino, girlfriend of WWE superstar Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, died of traumatic brain injuries. Her body had significant signs of physical abuse and it was recommended by the pathologist who performed the autopsy that it be investigated as a homicide. The coroner agreed.

Snuka, and only Snuka, had been with her and claimed that she fell. His story later changed. He also had been arrested a few months earlier for assault because two police deputies, who arrived on the scene of a call of domestic violence, witnessed Snuka “forcibly dragging the naked Ms. Argentino down the hallway by her hair as she was draped in a blanket.” Snuka pled guilty and was fined.

According to police records, one month after Argentino’s death, Vince McMahon and Jimmy Snuka had a meeting with the Assistant District Attorney and three detectives. There is no information, however, on what was said at the meeting. In his 2012 book, Jimmy Snuka states about the meeting, “All I is Vince had a briefcase with him. I don’t know what happened.”

Charges were not pressed.

Snuka continued his career and had what is now a famous steel cage match in Madison Square Garden just a few months later. He was a hot commodity. He made Vince money. He was even a part of the main event at the first-ever Wrestlemania in 1985.

Over three decades later, Snuka was charged with the third-degree murder of Argentino. However, in January 2017, he was deemed not mentally fit to stand trial and died two weeks later, at age 73, after a battle with stomach cancer.

The abuse allegations against the Fabulous Moolah

The Fabulous Moolah was the Women’s Wrestling Champion for 28 years. She also trained female wrestlers independently but also reportedly abused many of them and she would even leave them with powerful men in the business, some of whom would allegedly abuse them further.

She managed to also take advantage of those whom she sent to Vince to wrestle by making sure that her wrestlers only received payments through her, taking as much as 50% before paying them. This was made possible because Vince made certain to always pay Moolah for the matches that her wrestlers were involved in, regardless if Moolah was wrestling or not.

In the years following Moolah’s death, many have been coming forward to share their story of abuse, forcing the WWE to change certain honors they gave Moolah and bringing the organization itself — as well as Vince McMahon — into question for enabling her for decades.

Sexual molestation allegations against employees

In 1992, wrestler Terry Garvin and former wrestler Pat Patterson were accused of sexual abuse. Many witnesses have come forward and said that they were fired shortly after they refused the sexual advances of Garvin or Patterson. However, it gets worse. Garvin had allegedly made sexual advances to ring boys and Vince McMahon seemed intent on defending Garvin and Patterson. He had reason to. After all, Patterson was a major contributor to the company’s success. He was the first-ever Intercontinental Champion and the hugely successful annual Royal Rumble was Patterson’s idea.

Yet, it gets even worse. Ring announcer Mel Phillips was also in charge of overseeing the ring boys, who were mostly just local kids who would volunteer for what was a single event after Phillips would entice them with the opportunity to see wrestling for free. During his career, he was accused of molesting countless kids.

The Phillips scandal caused Linda McMahon, Vince’s wife, to fire Phillips in 1988 but she eventually re-hired him on the premise that he stop chasing kids, as revealed and reported by Business Insider.

Then the public scandal about sexual molestation within the WWE broke in 1992, putting Garvin, Patterson, and Phillips back in the spotlight. Vince reacted by releasing all three before he showed up for a one-hour interview with Phil Donahue who brought along multiple former WWE employees who were let go after telling Vince that Garvin and/or Patterson made sexual advances toward them.

McMahon denied knowledge of any wrongdoing, claimed the employees were fired because they were incompetent, and defended himself and his company vigorously, as one would expect from him to do. However, even the wrestlers that McMahon trusted, like Bruno Sammartino and Superstar Billy Graham, had something to say to him about his poor handling of the situation.

After the public scandal calmed, McMahon re-hired Patterson.

The Mel Phillips scandal resurfaced in 2021 when it was reported in detail that one of the kids who Phillips molested was Tom Cole. Shortly after the story was made popular again, Cole committed suicide and his brother took to Twitter to blame the McMahons for covering up for child molesters.

The steroids scandal

In 1991, Dr. George Zahorian was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison for selling steroids to WWE wrestlers. Vince even itted he bought some from Zahorian.

In 1994, Vince was now the one on trial and many WWE stars testified during the trial, including Hulk Hogan who itted using steroids and getting them at WWE events and even, at times, at the WWE headquarters in Connecticut. Though Hogan claimed McMahon was not involved, at least one wrestler said that not only was McMahon involved but he pressured him to take steroids.

Facing a million-dollar fine and over a decade in prison, Vince McMahon was acquitted of the charges and escaped it all. 

Allegations of hush money payouts and ission of affairs

In July of 2022, the Wall Street Journal reported that Vince McMahon paid four different women, all former employees, hush money over allegations of sexual misconduct. For 16 years, the Journal claims, Vince paid out at least $12 million. The report pushed him out of the door of the WWE.

Two more women have come forth since and made similar claims.

It’s worth noting that back in 2002, during a Playboy Magazine interview, Vince McMahon itted to numerous affairs. When asked if he has always been faithful to his wife, McMahon responded, “Not necessarily,” yet claimed he was always loyal to her.

He then stated, “I probably lied to myself, thinking she knew who I was when we got married.”

Later in the interview, he explained that his wife confronted him and finally asked him directly if he was having an affair, to which Vince responded yes and said, “It crushed her. Then she asked, ‘What about such and such?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ It went on. More names. I said, ‘yes and yes.’”

In explaining his actions he told Playboy, “It’s not something I’m proud of. I just didn’t realize the impact of messing with other people’s lives. I hurt a lot of people. The sex was terrific but from an emotional standpoint, I regret it.”

I’m sure that Vince adding that the “sex was terrific” made his wife feel even more special.

Sex trafficking allegations

In Jan. 2024, former WWE employee — Janel Grant — filed a complaint in Connecticut federal court alleging that she was trafficked to WWE executives by Vince McMahon, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Text messages were revealed that appear to show McMahon texting Grant in obscene detail. After texting her in May of 2020 that he “controls” her, McMahon allegedly forced himself on her, including one incident at the WWE headquarters, after which McMahon sent her $15,000 in gift cards later that same day.

McMahon is also accused of sharing nude photos of her and sexual videos of her with some of his employees. In an apparent attempt to re-sign former WWE champion Brock Lesnar, McMahon ordered Grant to send him sexualized photos and videos. Lesnar allegedly asked her to send him videos of her urinating. McMahon was able to convince Lesnar to temporarily re the WWE.

The lawsuit also claims that McMahon wanted her to have sex with others and that this desire of his was ultimately fulfilled by other WWE executives, including — as the lawsuit alleges — former WWE head of talent relations, John Laurinaitis. McMahon would order Grant to visit Laurenaitis in hotel rooms, she claims. On at least one occasion, they would take turns holding her down while the other would rape her, states Grant.

The sexually themed text messages are disturbing. In them, if they are proven to be sent by Vince McMahon, the former WWE boss describes what he wants Grant to do. The lawsuit claims that the acts he describes did happen.

Additionally, McMahon named sex toys after other wrestlers and used them on her, she alleges. Grant also claims that during a forcible threesome in 2020 McMahon defecated on her head.

Grant alleges that McMahon used his authoritative power over her to weaken her and to control her. Ultimately, she left the WWE and claims that McMahon paid her a million dollars to keep quiet.

Needless to say, Vince McMahon will likely never honestly be ired for who he is as a man. It’s doubtful that he will be ired at all. At one time, people did ire him for his success but how he achieved such success is greatly in question and, furthermore, what he allegedly did with that success is truly abhorrent.

He has been involved in many other controversies — too many to name here — but the ones listed above are the ones that define him. At least, the ones we know about.