Education Secretary and former WWE co-founder Linda McMahon was swiftly fact-checked after she posted an odd tweet about how the PlayStation Portable (PSP) console was "the beginning of life on the go."
One wonders why the Education Secretary would post something to mark the 21st anniversary of the system’s 2005 launch in the United States. At the time, the device received a mixed reception, with critics pointing to its underwhelming battery life and lackluster graphics.
It also wasn’t the world’s first portable gaming system, as a Community Note added to the tweet pointed out. The note explained that handheld video game systems have existed since 1976, and that the first handheld console with interchangeable game software was released in 1979. It also included a link to Wikipedia’s article on handheld game consoles.
She nonetheless wrote:
"In 2005, everything changed! The "PlayStation Portable" (PSP) was released and it did more than make gaming portable...it made entertainment personal, mobile, and always within reach. It was the beginning of life on the go."
You can see her post—accompanied by an image that doesn't even show a PSP—below.
Her post made no sense—and was fact-checked almost immediately.
McMahon, who has no experience in education whatsoever, is best known as one of the founders—along with her husband, fellow wrestling promoter Vince McMahon—of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE).
Last year, she was called out for hypocrisy when paying tribute to educators during "Teacher Appreciation Week" as she honors teachers on one hand and works to dismantle the Department of Education on the other.
McMahon has also demonstrated little understanding of the cuts to the department she oversees, including federal initiatives designed to support low-income, first-generation college students and students with disabilities in pursuing higher education.
Nonetheless, she continues to champion the broader effort to dismantle the DOE, actions that advocates say will be a detriment to students nationwide.
What can we expect from the woman who needed a basic math lesson after completely misstating how much the proposed cuts for the department over 10 years would actually save and once referred to "AI" as A1," like the steak sauce?
