Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says Linda McMahon helped open the door to his niece signing with WWE.
Kennedy, the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, appeared at the University of Florida’s College of Medicine on Thursday. During his speech, he introduced United States Secretary of Education Linda McMahon by mentioning that his niece, Zoe Hines, has signed a contract with WWE.
“I now welcome my friend and my colleague, Linda McMahon. Linda has become a very, very close friend and my niece, Zoe Hines, recently signed a contract with WWE, which Linda had a lot to do with, to become a wrestler,” Kennedy said.
“And I’m really looking forward to knowing so many good doctors who can treat her after,” he joked.
Zoe Hines played softball for Boston College and had a tryout during SummerSlam 2025 weekend in New Jersey. Hines is the daughter of Rebecca Hines, who is the sister of RFK Jr.’s wife, Curb Your Enthusiasm actress Cheryl Hines, making RFK Jr. her uncle by marriage.
Despite announcing Hines’ contract status, Kennedy did share when she signed.
RFK Jr.: I welcome my friend Linda McMahon, she has become a very close friend. My niece recently signed a contract with WWE, which Linda had a lot to do with pic.twitter.com/FDH3PNgTma
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) March 5, 2026
Linda McMahon says her relationship with Donald Trump led to her current role
Linda McMahon is the current United States Secretary of Education, a role she has held since 2025. She previously served as the head of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019.
McMahon says a decades-long friendship with U.S. President Donald Trump opened the door to her earning a role in his cabinet. During an interview with Going Ringside‘s Scott Johnson, McMahon explained how her relationship with Donald Trump first began.
“It was almost 30 years ago now. We met and he was a big fan of WWE,” Linda McMahon explained. “He came in, he was in some of our storylines, some of the highest-rated storylines. We became friends, and we’ve friends ever since. I was honored; it was the honor of a lifetime to serve in his Cabinet.”
McMahon said that Trump pitched her on the SBA role, calling it a “novel idea.”
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