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Linda McMahon: “If children cannot read by the time they finish the third…”

Featuring: Linda McMahon, Republican | Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education | National

EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close

Published January 21, 2026 | Video Starts at 22:56

… in and saw these naep, the National Report card scores about the lack of proficiency in reading across our country. So my number one priority, excuse me, is literacy, because If children cannot read by the time they finish the third grade, they're going to be behind in everything. that they are trying to do in school for the rest of their lives. So I am encouraging the science of reading As I travel the state and see what … (22:56–23:04)

CLAIM

Asserts the importance of reading proficiency by third grade for educational success.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Linda McMahon

“There hasn't always been a Department of Education. It didn't come about until 1980.”
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“We've spent $1.7 trillion to watch our NAEP scores or the nation's report card scores continue to decline.”
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“We have identified and saved about a billion dollars that would have gone out for FAFSA loans that would have been fraudulent.”
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“Only 41% of students 18 to 29 would say that they loved their country or they were proud of their country.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 20:51-21:02
“Louisiana, who was almost in last place in reading proficiency, and they brought in the science of reading and in two years have gone from…”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 25:20-25:31
“The president absolutely believes in school choice. I mean, he's the first president, I think, to get a national school choice bill into one…”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 00:54-01:04
“We were able, you know, last year to get another $60 million put into, you know, school choice, bringing the total up to 500 million.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 01:49-02:00
“We've actually gotten out payments to over 43 states since we did that.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 03:26-03:34
“We're working on other interagency agreements. We're working on one with [the Department of Health and Human Services] at this point.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 06:17-06:25
“FAFSA was broken when the Trump administration took office.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 08:52-08:58
“We have totally revamped FAFSA.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 09:01-09:04
“The president has made it very clear he signed an executive order there'd be no men and women sports.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 13:45-13:53
“We are back to the original Title IX that was first developed to protect and give women equal opportunity in sports.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 14:02-14:11
“We believe that sex is defined biologically and not by gender identity.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 14:13-14:20
“A school could not move out of the territory of their assigned accreditor. Now that's changed.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 17:14-17:21
“There is a group already in the south that is working for their own, to be their own accreditor.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 17:29-17:37
“Colleges and universities seek accreditation so that their students can go and get federal funding.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 17:53-18:00
“Harvard was not admitting students on merit, but really almost on a quota system.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 18:47-18:55
“I've now been to between 27 and 30 states, and we've gotten a lot of support.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 19:09-19:18
“Many of our students and, you know, in middle school or high school could not pass the citizenship test.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 20:18-20:25
“We are working with now about 50 different coalitions.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 21:19-21:28
“We have two different traveling museums that are going along with us.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 21:28-21:33
“Glenn Beck has furnished some artifacts that go to different schools.”
EXCLUSIVE: Linda McMahon Confirms Deal With Harvard Is Close | Uploaded January 21, 2026 | 21:32-21:37
“One of [the coalitions] is Turning Point USA.”
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“My number one priority, excuse me, is literacy.”
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“The science of reading and science-based reading and math is coming along shortly behind.”
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“The president took office a year ago today, January 20th. He had just gotten the NAEP scores, and he told me that he was not only angry, but…”
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