McMahon Dings University Leaders, Cites Hillsdale as Model

"She wants to see a system of higher education that's rigorous and prepares students for a career, but is also dedicated to truth-seeking and committed to treating institutions as "repositories of our civilizational inheritance," according to a transcript of her remarks. She raised concerns about colleges allegedly taking "real American history" out of the curriculum and questioned whether tax dollars should go to institutions that detract from "our nation's strength.""

""Decline is a choice, and too many college leaders today have made that choice and failed to own up to it," she said. The speech comes after months of work at the Education Department to investigate colleges and cut off funding for some and gives college leaders some sense of how those moves fit into her broader vision. McMahon's stop at Hillsdale is part of her nationwide Returning Education to the States tour."

"In particular, she took issue with the number of administrators on campuses, arguing that the system "delivers disillusionment for millions of students." She pointed to Gallup polls that show declining public confidence in higher education, claiming that one-third of Americans are confident in higher education. Gallup's most recent survey, released in July, found that 42 percent have either "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence, up from 36 percent in 2024."

Linda McMahon denounced higher education as broken and criticized four-year institutions. She advocated for rigorous, career-preparing colleges that are dedicated to truth-seeking and serve as repositories of civilizational inheritance. She raised concerns about removal of "real American history" from curricula and questioned whether tax dollars should support institutions that detract from national strength. She blamed college leaders for choosing decline and failing to take responsibility. The Education Department has worked for months to investigate colleges and consider cutting funding. McMahon criticized administrative bloat, saying the system delivers disillusionment for millions of students and cited Gallup poll numbers on confidence.

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