The following was passed along to Wrestleview.com.
Katie Couric Speaks with Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon on the 2016 race, Trump, Clinton, and women in leadership roles
Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric sat down with Linda McMahon, the famous businesswoman behind the rise of the WWE, the billion-dollar wrestling enterprise she built with her husband Vince McMahon. Couric and McMahon discussed the state of the 2016 race, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and why there are so few women leaders and what can be done about it.
Watch on Yahoo: http://yhoo.it/1TgLrVJ
· Her family’s relationship with Donald Trump: “He was a great partner, a wonderful promoter. He really greased the wheels and made things work very easily… he was fun. We got to know him personally. He is very loyal, he’s a patriot. I think he hires smart people around him, all of the people that we ever dealt with were just really smart and efficient and really good at what they did – very gracious, made you feel welcome and really did exactly what he said he would do.”
· The source of Trump’s popularity: “…[Trump] really is a vessel, I think, of this angst and unrest that the country is feeling, coming from so many different areas. They’re discouraged about their jobs and not more people have jobs during this administration and we elected, you know we elected Republicans in the last go round. Things were really going to change and nothing changed.”
· Donald Trump’s latest WrestleMania appearance and the ‘Battle of the Billionaires: “You don’t think Donald’s head was going to get shaved, do you, I mean really!?…Vince often says, the real travesty of all of this is that he’s such an ugly bald guy. He said, “some guys look good bald. I’m not one of those.”
· Whether she will run for office again: “I have no absolutely no plans to ever run for office. I ran twice, I gave it everything I had two times. It wasn’t meant to be in Connecticut for a Republican to win, it is a very, very blue state. I gave it all I had, I really wanted to win but didn’t.”
· What WWE fans represent about the 2016 electorate: “The persona of Donald Trump has resonated with them. Maybe their business isn’t growing, maybe they have kids who are graduating who can’t get jobs. All of those things that you hear I think resonate not only with some WWE fans, but across really the specter.”
· Hillary Clinton: “First of all, I think it’s high time that we had a woman president…but, I don’t want to elect someone just because they are a woman. I want the best candidate to be elected for president…I think that any woman who is elected to the highest office in the land would clearly have positive role model effects for other young women.”
· Gawker’s release of Hulk Hogan’s sex tape: “I don’t think anyone had the right, you know, to take his private tape and put it out. I thought Gawker was wrong, you know, to do that.”
· Hogan’s interest in coming back to the WWE: “ I think you never say never at WWE, but I wouldn’t speak on behalf of anyone there.”