Photos Of Linda McMahon That Prove Her Makeup Shouldn't Be Captured Up Close

Only Donald Trump would manage to pick an education secretary with a wilder TV past than his. Linda McMahon has been one of the most controversial figures in the president's inner circle, largely because of the lawsuit alleging she and her estranged husband, Vince McMahon — with whom she co-founded WWE — fostered a culture of sexual abuse at the company. When it comes to education (which is technically her job in Trump's second administration), her resume includes exactly one year on the Connecticut State Board of Education, and she allegedly lied about her degree to score that spot.

These aren't the only scandals that McMahon has been involved in. The former wrestling executive has also found herself in the crosshairs of the celebrity style police. Whether we're talking about some of McMahon's outfit choices that totally missed the mark or all the plastic surgery rumors she can't escape, the secretary of education is proof that you can survive the brutal world of professional wrestling and even Washington politics, but still lose the fight to an ill-chosen dress or a makeup mishap.

On that second point, the secretary has given netizens plenty to work with. As such, we've listed some of the many instances in which close-up photography was McMahon's worst friend and her face paint had a less-than-ideal polish.

The so-called "Mar-a-Lago" face that so many MAGA women opt for involves the application of products in such an aggressive way that they don't so much enhance their features as highlight all their flaws. Linda McMahon's makeup for the Senate Appropriations Hearing in June 2025 is a perfect example of this.

McMahon's foundation is trying to create a perfectly smooth surface, but it's operating like a mask. The only thing counteracting the extreme base is a subtle rosy blush, giving her cheekbones some dimension. Meanwhile, the thin liner, combined with heavy lashes and mascara, makes her dark eyes disappear into her face, giving her face a washed-out look.

Her face's makeup base had a much more appealing balance in this late January 2026 appearance at The Trump Kennedy Center. For the world premiere of Amazon MGM's "Melania," Linda McMahon wore a mauve red lipstick that aesthetically complemented her blush.

However, McMahon's eyes were still somewhat under-defined. The foundation was applied with more care than usual, but still veered into spackling territory. A little more liner would've made those eyes pop under the professional lighting.

Speaking of eye makeup, it seems that Linda McMahon's philosophy is to either overindulge or refuse to partake at all. At the 2024 Republican National Convention, McMahon's liner and shadow actually created depth, making her eyes visible for anyone standing more than a couple of feet away, but the application was on the heavy side.

Combined with the thick foundation, the overall effect was jarring and unfortunately highlighted the size discrepancy between McMahon's eyeballs. It was illustrative of the problems with Mar-a-Lago face in general, lacking any measure of restraint or balance.

Circling back to the foundation problem, Linda McMahon's makeup during this cabinet meeting in April 2025 once again plunged into that dreaded cakey territory. The powder almost set into fine lines, creating a matte texture that drew more attention to her washed-out face than her actual testimony about the Department of Education's budget. Also, the deep magenta lipstick is doing absolutely nothing to enhance her look, especially when taken into account with her blush, which has hardly shown up.

Considering how often Linda McMahon's makeup looks washed-out and pale, catching her with a bit of color and warmth on her face can feel like a minor miracle. That certainly wasn't the case during this interview outside the White House on July 15, 2025, though at least her eyes had actual definition thanks to visible liner and shadow.

The main problem was that McMahon's base was overdone yet again, creating a ghostly white visage that's become her signature look. This undermined all the good work done elsewhere, making her dark eyes awkwardly stand out.

When your powder application is so aggressive that the texture is sitting on top of your skin rather than blending with it, you know you've gone too far. For Linda McMahon, unfortunately, that seems to be the default setting. During an appearance at the UJA-Federation of New York in June 2015, McMahon was photographed looking like she'd walked through a cloud of flour, and it ended up highlighting all her creases and lines.

At some point, one has to wonder: Why is nobody in McMahon's inner circle suggesting a better alternative? A lighter hand here is the difference between looking polished and looking plastered, but that memo apparently never reached her desk.