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Linda McMahon: “The school just opted out and they didn't have to say [the…”

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

Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education

Published April 17, 2026 | Video Starts at 33:53

… up on the boards, because I don't think the kids in our school know what they are, and they can opt out of saying the Pledge of Allegiance. And so The school just opted out and they didn't have to say [the Pledge of Allegiance] anymore. I thought, what a comment that is. And this same principle, when he got up to announce for everyone to stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance, he says, now … (33:53)

CLAIM

Asserts that a school opted out of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

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

“Since the Department of Education was established in 1980, we've spent $3 trillion on education to watch our scores continue to go down.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 04:41-04:52
“At the highest level, we might get to 38 to 40% proficiency in reading at high school and eighth grade, but most of the average is about 33…”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 05:09-05:21
“The state of Mississippi that was like next to the last or last in reading proficiency, was one of the first to adopt the science of…”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 08:35-08:46
“In the state of Tennessee, for every dollar that goes into the classroom, 47 cents is spent on regulatory compliance.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 11:35-11:43
“The fastest growing group of millionaires in the country are those that come from our trade skills.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 14:28-14:35
“The Department of Education...is a pass through...for money that is appropriated through Congress to come through the Department of…”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 04:41-20:11
“The NAEP scores, which are our national report card, came out shortly after President Trump became president for the second time.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 04:52-05:02
“Some [governors and states] have really stuck with [school choice legislation] and got it done. They have in Texas, they just recently did…”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 05:08-36:13
“In the recent bill that was passed, the Working Families Tax Cut act and then the Freedom of Education act, there are provisions in there…”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 05:39-05:53
“It gives the broadest opportunity of national school choice than any program so far.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 05:53-06:01
“I've made literacy my number one priority during my tenure as the Secretary of Education.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 07:52-07:59
“Mississippi now is about midway of the pack in terms of all the states.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 09:11-09:16
“We've had other states adopted [the science of reading]: Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, Iowa.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 09:16-09:22
“The federal government provides formula funding to states and that funding is going to continue.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 10:06-10:15
“We just signed the first ever waiver with the governor of Iowa, Governor Reynolds, that combined four grants, four different streams into…”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 10:33-10:44
“Community colleges...are doing apprenticeships with these schools and there are dual credentials so that students graduating from high…”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 15:10-15:37
“The goal of this administration relative to federal involvement in education is one, to diminish that role.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 19:00-19:08
“There was no Department of Education up until 1980.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 19:23-19:27
“Some of it that's formulaically driven goes directly to states and some comes through the Department of Education for grant competitions.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 20:10-20:20
“Federal funding does come to universities based on certain criteria and a lot of research money comes to different universities.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 22:49-22:59
“The private sector and federal investment of that money is very, very critical.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 23:32-23:38
“If universities are not spending this money wisely and for the purpose that they have asked and requested this money for, then there is an…”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 23:41-23:57
“The goal is really to make sure that universities are giving equal opportunity across their campuses.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 24:16-24:26
“I don't think that's the role of the government to help change that kind of culture on each campus.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 25:16-25:24
“I'm going to all 50 states [for the History Rocks Tour].”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 30:22-30:26
“The administration is really making a big deal about the 250th birthday of our country.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 30:35-30:42
“Some of the questions are relative to national, but nothing that's partisan at all.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 31:55-32:02
“There have been artifacts from the Glenn Beck Museum, but there are no politics involved here.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 32:56-33:03
“The principal told me... I don't think the kids in our school know [the words to the Pledge of Allegiance].”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 33:37-34:34
“Some of these assemblies, we've had ROTC groups come in and present colors.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 34:33-34:40
“This particular bill that was part of the Working Families Tax Cut act is the first sort of national opportunity for school choice.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 36:17-36:27
“An individual could donate to a 501 or a nonprofit scholarship granting organization in their state. There's no cap on how much they can…”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 36:35-37:00
“The absolute false fact about this is that it takes money away from public schools.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 37:32-37:39
“It's a federal program and you can derive a federal tax credit, you can write that check to any state.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 38:00-38:12
“It's encouraging to see that there are these programs, you know, through the Perkins grants and through the short term Pell that is also…”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 40:05-40:16
“You can get Pell grants for programs that aren't taking two years, but can take 18 to 15 weeks to finish and get into the workplace sooner.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 40:18-40:29
“I had an opportunity to really start a business, build it from the ground up more in just kind of a helping position to start with. And then…”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 43:09-43:40
“That's why it's so important, I think, today that we have these programs in universities for reskilling.”
Buckley Institute Speaker Series: The Roadmap for Restoring American Education | Uploaded April 17, 2026 | 44:12-44:19