Donald John and Linda Marie Some Forty-Plus Years
Linda Marie has called herself “a jock” (in a Detroit Press interview) with a baccalaureate degree in the French language, though sometimes she claims otherwise. She reportedly has made “occasional on-screen performances, most notably in a feud with her husband that culminated at WrestleMania X-Seven.”
Toughs: Wrestlers, Wrestler Owners, Entertainers, Promoters
A 1968-1971 “traveling cup salesman” (Linda Marie’s husband) becomes part of his papa’s enterprise called “the World Wide Wrestling Federation” (WWWF, now WWE). He purchases “Capitol Wrestling (parent company of the World Wrestling Federation) from his papa and pushes toughs onto national television.
1982 – 2009: Linda Marie joins husband in running WWE (then WWF) and pushes the “growth and diversification” of toughs.
Toughs Unite
Trump and the McMahons - Late 1980s – present day
2007: Donald John “participated in the ‘Battle of the Billionaires’ [Net worth of Linda Marie 2024 estimated at $1.6 billion, her wealth derived from “WWE shares,” “real estate investments,” “ventures in politics.”] storyline feud against (Linda Marie’s husband) Vince McMahon.
EXPLAINER of a strange expression feud
Feud “in professional wrestling… is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or groups of wrestlers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feud_(professional_wrestling
A site called The Arena notes that “in the wild world of professional wrestling, the action is usually contained in the ring, or at least in the arena, if a match is contested under hardcore rules. But more often than not, a match—or an ongoing feud—can go beyond even the confines of the arena. … There have been many occasions in WWE … where rivalries have intensified to the point where nothing and no one is safe, not even in their own home.” D.C. Wood The Arena July 2, 2024, https://www.thesportster.com/wrestling-storylines-outside-arena-pillman-gun-austin-triple-h-orton-home/
2009: Donald John “participated in a storyline in which he (Trump) bought WWE Raw from Vince McMahon then … sold it back shortly after.”
OpenSecrets Center for Responsive Politics reporting on the Union of Toughs
Money Plays
Round and Round and Round it Goes
1990 through 2010s (Mr. and Mrs. McMahon) “made more than $15.1 million in political contributions”
2010 reporting “In a 1994 lawsuit, U.S. v. Vincent McMahon and Titan Sports, the government alleged the McMahons (Mr. and Mrs. McMahon) tried to defraud the Food and Drug Administration’s attempts to regulate steroids by, among other things, having Dr. George Zahorian distribute the drugs to wrestlers. Zahorian, who was convicted in 1991 of illegal steroid distribution, was a regular at Titan Sports events. A December 1, 1989, memo from Linda McMahon, however, suggested that he be kept from ringside and directed one of her staff to ‘clue him in on any action that the Justice Department is thinking of taking.’”
2009: The Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Henry Waxman, revealed “In the first year of WWE’s testing program, which began in March 2006, 40 percent of wrestlers tested positive for steroids and other drugs—even after being warned in advance that they were going to be tested.” Wrestling Figs January 3, 20009 “Congress Needles Wrestling” by Christian Red https://wrestlingfigs.com/wrestlingnews/congress-needles-wrestling/
2009 post-but-not-quite-post WWE, Mrs. McMahon takes a seat on Connecticut’s Board of Education. Later, sources found out it that Mrs. M had falsified her credentials on the vetting questionnaire, saying she had received an East Carolina University degree in Education when her only and academic credential was in French. (reported in Harford Courant 2010) Not unlike a certain Mr. Gaetz, she resigned her board position “a day after The Courant indicated it would be writing about her questionnaire answers.”
2010 Mrs. McMahon runs for a Senate seat and news sources report “WWE is a success story that Linda McMahon hopes will propel her to the U.S. Senate.” She has spent “$16 million of her own money on her campaign so far, with plans to spend much more.” But while she “holds up the WWE’s wellness policy as top of the line, there was a 10-year period when the WWE had no broad-based drug-testing policy, even though several wrestlers who had been linked to anabolic steroids and other drugs died during that time.” Register Citizen by Ed Stannard, Reporter June 20, 2010, “Steroid stain lingers on McMahon’s WWE: U.S. Senate candidate may take hit over drug controversy,” https://www.registercitizen.com/news/article/Steroid-stain-lingers-on-McMahon-s-WWE-U-S-12093498.php
Nevertheless
NBC news “Vince McMahon and WWE accused of allowing ‘rampant’ sexual exploitation of young boys by announcer in new lawsuit…” “‘Defendants were fully aware of the systemic and pervasive abuse and did nothing to prevent or stop it,’ the law firm representing the claimants said.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/vince-mcmahon-wwe-accused-allowing-rampant-sexual-exploitation-young-b-rcna176988
This is America! You, too, can grow up to be corrupt AND King of the Hill.
- 2007 (or shortly thereafter): Mr. and Mrs. Mahon “donated $5 million to the Donald J. Trump Foundation” in addition to paying him for his 2007 “appearance at WrestleMania 23”
- 2010 and 2012: Mrs. “McMahon ran for Senate in Connecticut…, self-funding both efforts to the tune of $50.1 million” and “$48.7 million,” respectively. “McMahon lost both races by a significant margin.” “Linda McMahon America First Action Chair” https://www.opensecrets.org/revolving-door/linda-mcmahon/summary?id=81848
- 2016: Donald John Trump’s campaign for the US presidency: Mrs. McMahon “contributed a total of $7.2 million to two pro-Trump super PACs, ‘Rebuilding America Now’ and ‘Future45’” OpenSecrets “Linda McMahon America First Action Chair,” https://www.opensecrets.org/revolving-door/linda-mcmahon/summary?id=81848
- 2016: Mrs. McMahon “donated $6 million to ‘Rebuilding America Now,’ a Super PAC with the purpose of electing Donald Trump as US president”
- “2015 and 2016 combined (donated) $1.2 million to ‘Future 45,’ a Super PAC which funded anti-Bernie Sanders advertisements”
- 2016 (December 7) then-President-elect Donald Trump announced he would nominate (Mrs.) McMahon “to be the administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA)” (Full Senate approved the nomination February 14, 2017)
- 2019 (March 29, effective April 12): Mrs. “McMahon announced her resignation as administrator of the SBA to chair America First Action, a pro-Trump Super PAC”
Dodgy Duo
2010 reporting “In a 1994 lawsuit, U.S. v. Vincent McMahon and Titan Sports, the government alleged the McMahons (Mr. and Mrs. McMahon) tried to defraud the Food and Drug Administration’s attempts to regulate steroids by, among other things, having Dr. George Zahorian distribute the drugs to wrestlers. Zahorian, who was convicted in 1991 of illegal steroid distribution, was a regular at Titan Sports events. A December 1, 1989, memo from Linda McMahon, however, suggested that he be kept from ringside and directed one of her staff to ‘clue him in on any action that the Justice Department is thinking of taking.’”
“… In an interview with Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Linda McMahon said she wasn’t sure whether steroids are dangerous.” Register Citizen by Ed Stannard, Reporter June 20, 2010, “Steroid stain lingers on McMahon’s WWE: U.S. Senate candidate may take hit over drug controversy,” https://www.registercitizen.com/news/article/Steroid-stain-lingers-on-McMahon-s-WWE-U-S-12093498.php2007: The US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform “submitted a three-page letter asking WWE owner Vince McMahon to provide ‘a series of documents intended to give the committee and its investigation a detailed look at WWE’s drug-testing policy, including information about the results of performance-enhancing drug tests on pro wrestlers.’” (“Congress Seeks WWE Records” July 28, 2007, by Mike Mooneyham https://mikemooneyham.com/2007/07/28/congress-seeks-wwe-records/)
2009: The Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Henry Waxman, revealed “In the first year of WWE’s testing program, which began in March 2006, 40 percent of wrestlers tested positive for steroids and other drugs—even after being warned in advance that they were going to be tested.” Wrestling Figs January 3, 20009 “Congress Needles Wrestling” by Christian Red https://wrestlingfigs.com/wrestlingnews/congress-needles-wrestling/
2009 post-but-not-quite-post WWE, Mrs. McMahon takes a seat on Connecticut’s Board of Education. Later, sources found out it that Mrs. M had falsified her credentials on the vetting questionnaire, saying she had received an East Carolina University degree in Education when her only and academic credential was in French. (reported in Harford Courant 2010) Not unlike a certain Mr. Gaetz, she resigned her board position “a day after The Courant indicated it would be writing about her questionnaire answers.”
2010 Mrs. McMahon runs for a Senate seat and news sources report “WWE is a success story that Linda McMahon hopes will propel her to the U.S. Senate.” She has spent “$16 million of her own money on her campaign so far, with plans to spend much more.” But while she “holds up the WWE’s wellness policy as top of the line, there was a 10-year period when the WWE had no broad-based drug-testing policy, even though several wrestlers who had been linked to anabolic steroids and other drugs died during that time.” Register Citizen by Ed Stannard, Reporter June 20, 2010, “Steroid stain lingers on McMahon’s WWE: U.S. Senate candidate may take hit over drug controversy,” https://www.registercitizen.com/news/article/Steroid-stain-lingers-on-McMahon-s-WWE-U-S-12093498.php
October 2024: Mrs. McMahon “was named as a defendant in a lawsuit, accusing her, her husband, and WWE of negligence (relative to) the ‘ring boys’ scandal, in which multiple WWE personnel, including (named) ring announcer … and (named) wrestlers …, either resigned or were dismissed in 1992 after being accused of sexually assaulting young boys
One of the named culprits “had already been dismissed in 1988 for sexual misconduct, but had been rehired several weeks afterwards under the condition that he ‘stop chasing after kids’Moreover, the lawsuit “alleged that (Mr. and Mrs. McMahon) fostered a culture of sexual abuse within the WWE” (World Wide Wrestling Federation); and cited a “concurrent sex trafficking lawsuit and federal investigation against (Linda Marie’s husband) and other allegations highlighted (in a highly publicized) documentary series.
(Mrs) “McMahon’s possible involvement in the ‘ring boys’ scandal was known prior to her tenure as (Forty-fifth US President Donald John Trump’s US Senate-confirmed) 2017 “Small Business Administrator.”
Nevertheless
the 2024 President-elect announced his nomination of Mrs. McMahon to head the US Federal Department of, yes, “EDUCATION.”
“Billionaire co-owner of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and a longtime crony and political backer” Linda McMahon gets the nod from 2024 US President-elect billionaire Donald Trump to be his choice to head the US Department of Education.Associated Press Politics November 19, 2024, Chris Megerian “What to know about Linda McMahon, Trump’s pick for Education secretary”—WASHINGTON (AP) — “Linda McMahon has been a constant presence in Donald Trump’s tumultuous orbit, serving in his first administration and supporting his presidential campaigns. Now he’s chosen her to serve as Education secretary.” https://apnews.com/article/linda-mcmahon-trump-education-secretary-wwe-613016d0c164b89765af761404cbb123
NBC news “Vince McMahon and WWE accused of allowing ‘rampant’ sexual exploitation of young boys by announcer in new lawsuit…” “‘Defendants were fully aware of the systemic and pervasive abuse and did nothing to prevent or stop it,’ the law firm representing the claimants said.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/vince-mcmahon-wwe-accused-allowing-rampant-sexual-exploitation-young-b-rcna176988
What can I or Anyone say?
This is America! You, too, can grow up to be corrupt AND King of the Hill.
One writer put it rather crudely, painfully so.
“To say that (Mrs.) McMahon has no qualifications to head the Department of Education is an understatement.
“Her background in professional wrestling—from which she and her husband Vince made their fortune—identifies her as a promoter of cultural backwardness, a carnival barker and con artist rather than an educator.
“In that, of course, McMahon and Trump are birds of a feather.”
Patrick Martin November 21, 2024 “Trump’s cabinet of social counterrevolution” https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/11/21/mcbj-n21.html
Other sources
[The Vince McMahon sex trafficking scandal is an ongoing scandal regarding professional wrestling promoter Vince McMahon, long-time owner of WWE, and allegations by a former WWE employee that McMahon sexually trafficked and assaulted her at WWE's corporate headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_McMahon_sex_trafficking_scandal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_career_of_Donald_Trump
https://www.thesportster.com/wrestling-storylines-outside-arena-pillman-gun-austin-triple-h-orton-home/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WrestleMania_X-Seven
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_career_of_Donald_Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_McMahon
https://knowinsiders.com/who-is-linda-mcmahon-early-life-family-career-and-net-worth-41378.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_McMahon_sex_trafficking_scandal
https://mikemooneyham.com/2007/07/28/congress-seeks-wwe-records/
https://wrestlingfigs.com/wrestlingnews/congress-needles-wrestling/
House Hearing, 110 Congress from the U.S. Government Publishing Office
Drugs In Sports: Compromising the Health of Athletes and Undermining the Integrity of Competition
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-110hhrg49522/html/CHRG-110hhrg49522.htm
https://www.registercitizen.com/news/article/Steroid-stain-lingers-on-McMahon-s-WWE-U-S-12093498.php
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PROLIFIC SOUTHERN-BORN AMERICAN WRITER DR. CAROLYN LADELLE BENNETT focuses on People, Press, Politics USA; Domestic and Foreign Affairs (no copyright claimed in direct quotes and individual image)
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