President Trump is facing pushback from conservatives on social media, as well as an education activist who spoke to Fox News Digital, over his nomination of Dr. Penny Schwinn for deputy secretary at the Department of Education.
"Being from Tennessee and being under Schwinn and her Berkeley-educated, radical views, I was actually shocked when I heard that she was being nominated by President Trump because she is the most unlike President Trump, and her policies are not the same," Laurie Cardoza Moore, member of the Tennessee Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission and founder of Proclaiming Justice To the Nations, told Fox News Digital about Trump's nomination of Schwinn.
Trump announced his nomination of Schwinn, the former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education, in a recent Truth Social post, saying that she is "committed to delivering the American Dream to the next Generation by returning Education BACK TO THE STATES."
Moore told Fox News Digital that Schwinn's record is not compatible with the agenda Trump is trying to implement and fears that someone recommended Schwinn to Trump without fully explaining her background.
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"I decided to call on President Trump to rescind his nomination of Penny Schwinn for the deputy secretary of Education appointment because of the policies that she implemented here in the state of Tennessee. You know, I fought for a couple of years for Gov. Lee to call for her resignation because of her, her policies, her values," Moore said.
"But under her leadership, and this is what's important for the audience to understand, the children in Tennessee - and this is not just Tennessee because she's been to Texas and Florida - but our kids were subjected to pornographic and anti-Semitic content in library books, for example, 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' was one of them. She exposed Tennessee children to dark content like the Wit and Wisdom curriculum, all of which violate child indecency laws and obscenity laws here in the state of Tennessee, which is really troubling to me. She developed a plan to conduct child welfare checks on Tennessee children from birth to 18 to make sure they had their vaccinations."
Moore expressed concerns that the Berkeley-educated Schwinn hired a math expert in Tennessee, Rachael Maves, who promoted "math equity" in California, along with Schwinn's support of the Wit and Wisdom program, which critics say is a mask for CRT.
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Schwinn was grilled by Tennessee lawmakers in 2020 over her handling of textbooks and contracts but defended her actions taken as education commissioner.
Schwinn was hired by former University of Florida President Ben Sasse, a vocal Trump critic, in 2023 and was one of several employees to face criticism for racking up thousands in travel costs in order to work from home before she was fired in 2024, WUSF reported.
While Trump has garnered widespread praise from conservatives for the majority of his appointments, many conservatives on social media echoed Moore's concerns about Schwinn.
"President Trump needs the full story on Penny Schwinn's education history in TN," conservative commentator Robby Starbuck posted on X. "I really hope he reconsiders her nomination."
"Penny says her core value is 'Equity for all… no matter what.' On her watch TN's Department of Education even embraced DEI for hiring teachers. She may be a very nice person but naming her Under Secretary of Education at this critical juncture isn't a good idea when she's been a believer in this toxic DEI ideology."
"Anytime someone claims their desired outcome is equity, understand they're pushing a communist agenda," former NCAA swimmer and conservative commentator Riley Gaines posted on X. "NO to Penny Schwinn."
Country music star John Rich also criticized Schwinn in a post on X, saying that Trump's decision needs to be "reversed."
Other conservatives came to Schwinn's defense, including journalist Chris Rufo, who is considered the most effective critic of Critical Race Theory in many conservative circles.
"President Trump and Secretary McMahon selected Penny for a reason, and we should all work together to make sure she is successful," Rufo wrote on X.
Schwinn's appointment also earned praise from GOP Sen. Tim Scott, who posted on X, "The closest thing to magic in America is a quality education. With @realDonaldTrump, @Linda_McMahon, and Penny Schwinn leading our education policy, we will empower parents and prioritize students."
"God does not give brains out based on zip code or income. Let's unleash school choice so all students can thrive."
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders posted on X that McMahon and Schwinn are "both champions on parental empowerment and education freedom through universal school choice we're implementing in Arkansas."
Many conservatives have made the case that Trump has a "mandate" from the voters to appoint whoever he sees fit to these high-profile positions, but Moore called Schwinn a "red flag" who will not adhere to Trump's agenda in the department, specifically his plan to downsize or even eliminate the department.
"Somehow somebody has put the bug in Trump's ear that he should nominate her," Moore told Fox News Digital. "But President Trump, you know, I know that he's very concerned about the future and the state of education, and Penny Schwinn is the last person. She would embarrass him ultimately down the road because she would implement her left policies, her Berkeley-educated policies, and introduce them to the whole country. Very dangerous."
