(NewsNation) — Legendary journalist John Stossel supports President Donald Trump’s education secretary, Linda McMahon, of the famed wrestling family dynasty. While Trump likes wrestling enough to participate in it, Stossel’s history with the McMahons is just as action-packed — but less amicable.
“Linda McMahon is now education secretary, and she’s saying all the right stuff,” said Stossel. “College students are actually going to have to pay their loans back. But I have issues with them because Vince McMahon had me beaten up by a professional wrestler because I was doing a ’20/20′ piece on how pro wrestling is fake.”
That was back in 1984, marking a defining moment for both Stossel and professional wrestling.
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“Well, allegedly the wrestler was told, ‘Teach this guy a lesson,’” said Stossel.
Professional wrestler David Schultz slapped Stossel in the head twice, knocking him to the floor each time. ABC News received hundreds of calls inquiring about Stossel’s condition. Stossel eventually filed a lawsuit against the World Wrestling Federation and settled out of court for $425,000.
Stossel suffered hearing loss from that attack. Today, however, he says policy matters more than any personal grievances.
“I love what (Linda McMahon) is doing now,” he said. “I think if she could just close the Department of Education, she would, and this is just a new way of thinking. It’s always been that we need more government to do more things, and now suddenly they’re pointing out that a lot of these people are just wasting money.”
