Donald Trump expected to reward Linda McMahon in a major way - Reports
Donald Trump is the only WWE Hall of Famer to be elected President of the United States. The Celebrity Wing inductee has ties to the wrestling company going back to the 1980s, which forged his longtime friendship with Vince McMahon. In recent years, Trump has benefited greatly from Linda McMahon's work, and now sources have leaked the billionaire's special plan to reward the WWE co-founder.
The billionaire found early supporters in The McMahons, who have also helped out as major donors over the years. Vince gave a rare Hall of Fame induction speech for the real estate magnate in 2013, and while the two billionaires have worked together several times, they're also said to be really good friends. Trump also has a history with Vince's wife, the WWE co-founder. Linda left WWE in 2009 to get into politics. She eventually had a run as the head of Trump's Small Business Administration but left to take on new duties with his 2020 re-election campaign.
According to Reuters, McMahon is now the front-runner to be Trump's U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Three sources briefed on the matter have confirmed that Donald Trump is expected to call on Linda to lead the Department of Commerce. It remains to be seen when the announcement will be made, but the President-elect has been confirming names all week as the transition continues.
Linda was hired this year to co-lead a transition team formed to vet personnel and draft pre-election policy. The report noted how it is unclear if the 76-year-old will land the Secretary of Commerce Department job as the transition is still in its early stages, but she is now the front-runner.
The McMahons were some of the biggest donors to the Trump campaigns of 2016 and 2020, and the same went for 2024. Records show that Linda donated $10 million to the Make America Great Again Inc. PAC (Political Action Committee), and that didn't include the numerous donations to related campaigns and committees. The mother-of-two sits on the Board of Directors at Donald Trump's social media company, Truth Social, as an Independent Director.
Jim Ross congratulates Donald Trump; recalls meeting
Wrestling fans and the rest of the world continue to discuss the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, which saw Donald Trump defeat Kamala Harris.
AEW's Jim Ross is among the wrestling stars who publicly reacted to Trump's win. The WWE Hall of Famer said he was not surprised.
"I was not surprised; I thought he'd win big time, and I'm not a big fan of his, but he is the president... going to be the president of the United States again, and out of respect for our country and that office, I'm not gonna s**t on his victory even though I'm not a big fan of him. I remember vividly talking to him at length in Green Bay," Jim Ross said.
Good Ol' JR recalled meeting Donald Trump at a RAW taping years back. Ross said Trump was personable but only wanted to talk about women. The 72-year-old joked that they do have something in common, then congratulated the 47th President and praised him for running a smart campaign.