McMahon Calls Out Trump Derangement Syndrome as She Works to Dismantle Her Own Agency

Linda McMahon has arguably the strangest job description in Washington right now. The Education Secretary is tasked with eliminating her own department, and she’s not apologizing for it. During a recent appearance on Planet Tyrus, she laid it out plainly for anyone willing to listen. Critics who recoil at the idea of dismantling the Department of Education? They’re suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, plain and simple.

You know what’s refreshing about this? Someone in government finally admitting that federal bureaucracy isn’t some sacred cow we must worship at all costs. McMahon isn’t dancing around the mission. President Trump wants the Department of Education gone, and he’s put her in charge of making it happen. The logic is straightforward enough that even career bureaucrats should understand it, though they won’t admit it. States handled education before 1979 when Jimmy Carter created this department as a political favor to teachers unions. They can handle it again.

The howls of protest were predictable. Washington insiders clutching their pearls, education establishment types warning of apocalyptic consequences, the usual chorus of voices insisting that without federal oversight, children will somehow forget how to read. It’s exhausting, really. McMahon sees through it, calling out the reflexive opposition for what it is. Some people just can’t help themselves when Trump’s name appears in a headline. Their brains short circuit and rational thought flies out the window.

Here’s the thing about Trump Derangement Syndrome that McMahon’s pointing out. It’s not just a clever phrase conservatives throw around for fun. It’s a real phenomenon where otherwise intelligent people lose all sense of proportion and perspective. They oppose ideas they might have supported yesterday simply because Trump supports them today. Remember when Democrats cared about local control and states’ rights? Pepperidge Farm remembers, and so does anyone paying attention.

The conversation on Planet Tyrus also touched on politics in the classroom, which is where things get really interesting. McMahon’s navigating a minefield here because everyone knows what’s happening in schools across America. Teachers unions have turned classrooms into indoctrination centers for progressive ideology. Parents see it, students experience it, but mention it out loud and suddenly you’re anti-education or anti-teacher. That’s nonsense and we all know it.

Traditional conservatives have always believed in education. We just don’t believe in federal bureaucrats in Washington dictating curriculum to kids in Kansas or Idaho or Alabama. Local school boards, parents, teachers who actually know the students sitting in front of them every day are infinitely better equipped to make decisions about education than some administrator who’s never set foot in their community.

The Department of Education employs thousands of people and spends billions of dollars annually. What do we get for that investment? Test scores that have stagnated or declined. A generation of students who can’t do basic math or write a coherent paragraph. Schools more focused on pronouns than phonics. It’s a disaster, and throwing more federal money and oversight at the problem hasn’t fixed anything. Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to try something different.

McMahon’s willingness to take on this challenge shows real courage. She could have coasted in this role, collected a paycheck, attended ribbon cuttings and photo ops. Instead she’s actually trying to accomplish the mission Trump gave her. That’s rare in government work where most people are more concerned with protecting their turf than serving the public interest.

The Trump Derangement Syndrome accusation stings because it’s accurate. Watch how critics respond to this proposal. They won’t engage with the substance or offer alternatives. They’ll just scream about Trump being dangerous and McMahon being unqualified. It’s predictable and tiresome, but it won’t stop what’s coming.