This post was originally published on this site.
The internet scorched the former WWE Raw empresario for her unintentionally saucy remarks at an education innovation summit. But it’s students who get burned.
Education secretary confuses AI with A1 in viral speech blunder
Education Secretary Linda McMahon raised eyebrows during a speech when she confused artificial intelligence (AI) with A1, the popular steak sauce.
unbranded – Newsworthy
Former “WWE Raw” empresario Linda McMahon got roasted online after confusing the acronym for artificial intelligence — AI — with a sauce you might use on a steak — A1 — at an April 8 event in San Diego featuring all kinds of big-brained educators.
It’s not just what she deserved. I’d guess it’s what Donald Trump expected. Even wanted.
The former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and Trump’s pick for secretary of Education was attending the ASU + GSV Summit, where, among other things, she said, “A school system that’s going to start making sure that first graders, or even pre-Ks, have A1 teaching in every year. That’s a wonderful thing!”
As bad as that seems, it’s what Trump was looking for in an education secretary.
And McMahon is not alone.
McMahon’s job is to kill the Department of Education
This month Arizona has been host to a couple of Trump stooges — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Sending McMahon to an event tied to Arizona State University (though this one took place in San Diego) is like sending in Curly to round out appearances by Moe and Larry.
In Trump’s world, unlike planet earth, this makes perfect sense. Particularly since McMahon’s entire job, as defined by her Dear Leader, is to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.
In March Trump signed an executive order aimed at killing the department, something a president can’t do without approval of Congress (which Trump might have learned if he was lucky enough to attend public rather than private schools).
Trump called the department “a big con job” that he wants to be “closed immediately.”
Trump owed her something for her $21 million
Making McMahon secretary of a doomed department must have seemed like a great idea to Trump.
He had to give her something in return for her investment.
After all, between the Make America Great Again Inc. super PAC and other Trump fundraising entities, McMahon is reported to have donated more than $21 million to help Trump get elected.
By Trump’s standards (assuming “standards” is even close to the right word), that is cabinet-level largesse.
So, Trump gave her something he does not want and made it her job to get rid of it for him (with the help of Elon Musk’s DOGE bros, of course).
They’ve already eliminated roughly 50% of the department’s positions, more than 1,300 jobs.
AI or A1? Soon, students won’t know, either
And, since Trump’s education secretary needs to know nothing about education, his selection of McMahon seems almost … logical.
The nice folks who make A1 sauce had a little fun with McMahon’s comment about making sure kids have “A1” exposure early, producing a meme with a picture of the sauce that reads, “Agree, best to start them early.”
Although that might not be a bad idea.
Considering what Trump has planned for public education, it’s likely that the next generation of American school kids won’t know the difference between AI and A1, either.
Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.
Like this column? Get more opinions straight into your email inbox by signing up for our free opinions newsletter, which publishes Monday through Friday.