In a wide-ranging conversation with Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric, former WWE CEO and current head of the Small Business Administration Linda McMahon gave her take on President Trump’s tweets about the London terrorist attack, her role at the SBA, a presidential run by the Rock and whether or not she thinks Bill Maher should be fired.
Interview highlights include McMahon on:
President Trump’s tweets on London:
“President Trump really has taken his message directly to the American people through his tweets, and I think he’ll continue to do that. I also believe he sent his sincere condolences to the people of London and promised the support of the United States in investigations and anything we can do. So I think he is doing the right thing.”[CLIP]: Linda McMahon refuses to criticize President Trump’s tweets about London mayor.
Her advice to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on a potential presidential run and who she thinks would win in a Rock vs. Vin Diesel match-up:
“Dwayne, do your homework really, really carefully so that you’re up on all the things you want to talk about. He’s a really a very bright, smart…I still call him a young man. He’s about my son’s age, so that’s about right. But he’s very passionate about what he does. And he’s had some great success. And from what I’ve heard, I think he wants to give back. And now, I’m not sure what all the different roads that would take, but if he were to decide to do this, I think he’d be all in…Well, I tell you, he might get a great deal of the women’s vote from the reaction I hear here at SBA, things like, couldn’t you bring him in just so we can say, hello? And of course, I have no authority… [On a match-up between The Rock & Vin Diesel] “Hands down, The Rock would win. Of course, hands down… Because The Rock has got the moves… Bring it.” [CLIP]: Linda McMahon’s advice for the Rock on a presidential run.
Live TV and Bill Maher’s comments:
“Well, I can tell you that when I was a CEO at WWE, we just had very high standards. And we put in measures for the WWE talent at that particular time about things they could and could not do in the ring. And what was objectionable and what is not… There’s no three-second delay. And so sometimes, you make judgment calls…But totally inappropriate, over the top, me personally, it would be intolerable… I didn’t hear it live. I thought that it was just extreme. One of the things I think, Katie, that we’ve lost in our country over the past few years, I do believe, is respect and civility, not only for our fellow man. But for offices, especially the office of the presidency. And I think we have to have. First of all, we have to have personal respect, but we have to have more civility in our society and from business to business, whatever it is, I think we’ve just lost a lot of our civility. I would like to see a lot of that come back. And I try to instill that within my grandchildren. [CLIP]: Linda McMahon calls Bill Maher’s comments ‘intolerable,’ calls for more ‘civility’.
The McMahon’s $5M contribution to the Trump Foundation and whether they were troubled with how the funds were used:
“Well, when we donated our money to that philanthropy, we were making it because we were a friend of then Mr. Trump. We knew a lot of the good works that he had done. So we gave the money to them to do as they saw fit. And I was not aware of any of the supposed misuse… Well, because we gave them money in good faith. And we gave it for projects that I think maybe not necessarily got reported. So that’s how I’m going to think about that.” [CLIP:] Linda McMahon on contributions to the Trump Foundation.
Why she supports the President withdrawing from the Paris Climate agreement and whether she believes climate change is real:
“Well, President Trump certainly campaigned against the Paris Accord. And I think he was fulfilling a campaign promise. He’s also said, I’m willing to go back and renegotiate this. But this is just not a good deal for the United States…I’m really pleased to see that commitment…I do think climate change is real. And I do think that man has some contribution to climate change. As to the extent of the science predictions as to what might happen 20, 30, 40, 50 years from now, I’m not sure that we have that totally decided. But I do respect the science behind a lot of it.” [CLIP]: Linda McMahon agrees with President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
