Trump’s Education Secretary said American kids are doing “terribly,” but then suggested her own history quiz answers may be handed out early

President Donald Trump’s Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, made contradictory statements about American education during a Fox News interview. She first said that kids are doing “terribly” in school, then suggested that students on a Trump administration history quiz tour are doing “very well,” possibly because they receive the answers in advance.

According to Mediaite, she said the education system has “failed our kids,” pointing to the latest NAEP scores as evidence. These scores, released shortly after President Trump took office, show that only about 30% of eighth graders and high school students can read or do math at a proficient level. McMahon called this “just terrible.”

McMahon then shifted to talking about the “History Rocks!” tour, a traveling history quiz initiative organized as part of the Trump administration’s celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. She described it as nonpartisan, featuring a speech, a history quiz, and a game show format. She said the questions focus on the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, U.S. history, and topics specific to each state.

The “History Rocks!” tour has faced cancellations, protests, and serious questions about its political ties

However, the tour has not gone smoothly. At least four stops have been canceled in Massachusetts, Alabama, and Connecticut, and events in Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Illinois have faced protests. McMahon called this reaction “crazy,” saying the questions are purely educational. Trump has faced similar scrutiny over how his administration spends taxpayer money on various initiatives.

When asked how students were performing on the quizzes, McMahon said they “are doing very well with those questions,” then added: “It could be they get them ahead of time. I don’t know.” This comment raised questions, especially coming right after her criticism of poor academic performance across the country.

Critics have also raised concerns about who is funding the tour. The America 250 Civics Education Coalition, which sponsors it, is made up entirely of groups with strong ties to Trump’s political movement, including the America First Policy Institute, Turning Point USA, Moms for Liberty, and the Heritage Foundation.

One Alabama high school student told a publication they “just found it hypocritical,” saying the tour tried to brand itself as “apolitical” while being “very publicly supported by strongly political groups.” There are also concerns about the tour’s content. Critics argue it focuses only on the positive parts of U.S. history, leaving out important events like the transatlantic slave trade.

The America First Policy Institute released a video calling for education based on “faith, heritage, patriotism,” and stating: “Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary McMahon, that light will be restored to guide our students and our nation into a brighter American future.”

McMahon has pushed back against these criticisms, saying claims that the tour is “radical,” “dangerous,” and “partisan” are “absurd.” She insists that “what you see is not politics – it is a shared commitment to our nation’s story,” and expressed frustration with those who “seek to distort a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary and deprive children of this experience.

“It is worth noting that President Trump appointed McMahon with the goal of effectively eliminating the Department of Education, and his administration has also been making major changes to U.S. alliances and NATO’s decision-making power as part of a broader reshaping of American policy at home and abroad.